diff --git a/Framework/Algorithms/src/CorelliCrossCorrelate.cpp b/Framework/Algorithms/src/CorelliCrossCorrelate.cpp
index a6e0cb33adfc00ecba56d322c2c4855662b143b7..d65a6070081eee4ce1ef8ee0175de86a6f7937ba 100644
--- a/Framework/Algorithms/src/CorelliCrossCorrelate.cpp
+++ b/Framework/Algorithms/src/CorelliCrossCorrelate.cpp
@@ -168,6 +168,12 @@ void CorelliCrossCorrelate::exec() {
   // Determine period from chopper frequency.
   auto motorSpeed = dynamic_cast<TimeSeriesProperty<double> *>(
       inputWS->run().getProperty("BL9:Chop:Skf4:MotorSpeed"));
+  if (!motorSpeed)
+  {
+    throw Exception::NotFoundError(
+      "Could not find a log value for the motor speed",
+      "BL9:Chop:Skf4:MotorSpeed");
+  }
   double period = 1e9 / static_cast<double>(motorSpeed->timeAverageValue());
   g_log.information() << "Frequency = " << 1e9 / period
                       << "Hz Period = " << period << "ns\n";
diff --git a/Framework/MDAlgorithms/src/FindPeaksMD.cpp b/Framework/MDAlgorithms/src/FindPeaksMD.cpp
index 1e94707a155f447cab458f8d4b2e3528fef25294..988f5b7f2976b2c95365d6eaf9fb091890856e2f 100644
--- a/Framework/MDAlgorithms/src/FindPeaksMD.cpp
+++ b/Framework/MDAlgorithms/src/FindPeaksMD.cpp
@@ -215,12 +215,15 @@ FindPeaksMD::createPeak(const Mantid::Kernel::V3D &Q, const double binCount) {
   boost::shared_ptr<DataObjects::Peak> p;
   if (dimType == QLAB) {
     // Build using the Q-lab-frame constructor
-    p = boost::shared_ptr<DataObjects::Peak>(new Peak(inst, Q));
+    p = boost::make_shared<Peak>(inst, Q);
     // Save gonio matrix for later
     p->setGoniometerMatrix(m_goniometer);
   } else if (dimType == QSAMPLE) {
     // Build using the Q-sample-frame constructor
-    p = boost::shared_ptr<DataObjects::Peak>(new Peak(inst, Q, m_goniometer));
+    p = boost::make_shared<Peak>(inst, Q, m_goniometer);
+  } else  {
+    throw std::invalid_argument(
+      "Cannot Integrate peaks unless the dimension is QLAB or QSAMPLE");
   }
 
   try { // Look for a detector