diff --git a/hal/src/main/native/cpp/jni/CANJNI.cpp b/hal/src/main/native/cpp/jni/CANJNI.cpp
index 9375a06e80..53e344abdb 100644
--- a/hal/src/main/native/cpp/jni/CANJNI.cpp
+++ b/hal/src/main/native/cpp/jni/CANJNI.cpp
@@ -160,8 +160,15 @@ Java_edu_wpi_first_hal_can_CANJNI_readCANStreamSession
     JLocal<jobject> elem{
         env, static_cast<jstring>(env->GetObjectArrayElement(messages, i))};
     if (!elem) {
-      // TODO decide if should throw
-      continue;
+      // If element doesn't exist, construct it in place. If that fails, we are
+      // OOM, just return
+      elem = JLocal<jobject>{env, CreateCANStreamMessage(env)};
+      if (elem) {
+        std::printf("Allocated and set object\n");
+        env->SetObjectArrayElement(messages, i, elem);
+      } else {
+        return 0;
+      }
     }
     JLocal<jbyteArray> toSetArray{
         env, SetCANStreamObject(env, elem, msg->dataSize, msg->messageID,
diff --git a/hal/src/main/native/cpp/jni/HALUtil.cpp b/hal/src/main/native/cpp/jni/HALUtil.cpp
index 6316a8c1f8..3c7f04ce48 100644
--- a/hal/src/main/native/cpp/jni/HALUtil.cpp
+++ b/hal/src/main/native/cpp/jni/HALUtil.cpp
@@ -365,6 +365,12 @@ jobject CreatePowerDistributionVersion(JNIEnv* env, uint32_t firmwareMajor,
       static_cast<jint>(hardwareMajor), static_cast<jint>(uniqueId));
 }
 
+jobject CreateCANStreamMessage(JNIEnv* env) {
+  static jmethodID constructor =
+      env->GetMethodID(canStreamMessageCls, "<init>", "()V");
+  return env->NewObject(canStreamMessageCls, constructor);
+}
+
 JavaVM* GetJVM() {
   return jvm;
 }
diff --git a/hal/src/main/native/cpp/jni/HALUtil.h b/hal/src/main/native/cpp/jni/HALUtil.h
index 9c9487cd30..b3fdd31e87 100644
--- a/hal/src/main/native/cpp/jni/HALUtil.h
+++ b/hal/src/main/native/cpp/jni/HALUtil.h
@@ -93,6 +93,8 @@ jobject CreatePowerDistributionVersion(JNIEnv* env, uint32_t firmwareMajor,
                                        uint32_t hardwareMajor,
                                        uint32_t uniqueId);
 
+jobject CreateCANStreamMessage(JNIEnv* env);
+
 JavaVM* GetJVM();
 
 }  // namespace hal