diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ff66ccf0beae568ebcbe1a3db96d3eb3429e7ff4..893d6f3dca8446c2c9ff424f1257d9872ec0094d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@ the tool or customize it to specific needs.
 The Sleuth Kit uses code from the file system analysis tools of
 The Coroner's Toolkit (TCT) by Wietse Venema and Dan Farmer.  The
 TCT code was modified for platform independence.  In addition,
-support was added for the NTFS (see [wiki/ntfs](http://wiki.sleuthkit.org/index.php?title=FAT_Implementation_Notes)) 
-and FAT (see [wiki/fat](http://wiki.sleuthkit.org/index.php?title=NTFS_Implementation_Notes)) file systems.  Previously, The Sleuth Kit was
+support was added for the NTFS (see [wiki/ntfs](http://wiki.sleuthkit.org/index.php?title=NTFS_Implementation_Notes)) 
+and FAT (see [wiki/fat](http://wiki.sleuthkit.org/index.php?title=FAT_Implementation_Notes)) file systems.  Previously, The Sleuth Kit was
 called The @stake Sleuth Kit (TASK).  The Sleuth Kit is now independent
 of any commercial or academic organizations.
 
diff --git a/bindings/java/src/org/sleuthkit/datamodel/Blackboard.java b/bindings/java/src/org/sleuthkit/datamodel/Blackboard.java
index 38c23733e4b0e75960348a06d6b92587c38a5556..b1ea67405a28197176e79583440f221d56b57994 100755
--- a/bindings/java/src/org/sleuthkit/datamodel/Blackboard.java
+++ b/bindings/java/src/org/sleuthkit/datamodel/Blackboard.java
@@ -1766,53 +1766,49 @@ private long getArtifactsCountHelper(int artifactTypeID, String whereClause) thr
 		}
 	}
 
-	/*
-	 * Determine if an artifact of a given type exists for given content with a
-	 * specific list of attributes.
+	/**
+	 * Determines whether or not an artifact of a given type with a given set of
+	 * attributes already exists for a given content.
 	 *
-	 * @param content The content whose artifacts need to be looked at. @param
-	 * artifactType The type of artifact to look for. @param attributesList The
-	 * list of attributes to look for.
+	 * @param content      The content.
+	 * @param artifactType The artifact type.
+	 * @param attributes   The attributes.
 	 *
-	 * @return True if the specific artifact exists; otherwise false.
+	 * @return True or false
 	 *
-	 * @throws TskCoreException If there is a problem getting artifacts or
-	 * attributes.
+	 * @throws TskCoreException The exception is thrown if there is an issue
+	 *                          querying the case database.
 	 */
-	public boolean artifactExists(Content content, BlackboardArtifact.ARTIFACT_TYPE artifactType,
-			Collection<BlackboardAttribute> attributesList) throws TskCoreException {
-
-		ArrayList<BlackboardArtifact> artifactsList;
-
-		/*
-		 * Get the content's artifacts.
-		 */
-		artifactsList = content.getArtifacts(artifactType);
-		if (artifactsList.isEmpty()) {
-			return false;
-		}
-
-		/*
-		 * Get each artifact's attributes and analyze them for matches.
-		 */
-		for (BlackboardArtifact artifact : artifactsList) {
-			if (attributesMatch(artifact.getAttributes(), attributesList)) {
-				/*
-				 * The exact artifact exists, so we don't need to look any
-				 * further.
-				 */
+	public boolean artifactExists(Content content, BlackboardArtifact.Type artifactType, Collection<BlackboardAttribute> attributes) throws TskCoreException {
+		List<BlackboardArtifact> existingArtifacts = content.getArtifacts(artifactType.getTypeID());
+		for (BlackboardArtifact artifact : existingArtifacts) {
+			if (attributesMatch(artifact.getAttributes(), attributes)) {
 				return true;
 			}
 		}
-
-		/*
-		 * None of the artifacts have the exact set of attribute type/value
-		 * combinations. The provided content does not have the artifact being
-		 * sought.
-		 */
 		return false;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Determines whether or not an artifact of a given type with a given set of
+	 * attributes already exists for a given content.
+	 *
+	 * @param content      The content.
+	 * @param artifactType The artifact type.
+	 * @param attributes   The attributes.
+	 *
+	 * @return True or false
+	 *
+	 * @throws TskCoreException The exception is thrown if there is an issue
+	 *                          querying the case database.
+	 * @deprecated Use artifactExists(Content content, BlackboardArtifact.Type
+	 * artifactType, Collection\<BlackboardAttribute\> attributes) instead.
+	 */
+	@Deprecated
+	public boolean artifactExists(Content content, BlackboardArtifact.ARTIFACT_TYPE artifactType, Collection<BlackboardAttribute> attributes) throws TskCoreException {		
+		return artifactExists(content, getArtifactType(artifactType.getTypeID()), attributes);
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Determine if the expected attributes can all be found in the supplied
 	 * file attributes list.
diff --git a/bindings/java/src/org/sleuthkit/datamodel/blackboardutils/CommunicationArtifactsHelper.java b/bindings/java/src/org/sleuthkit/datamodel/blackboardutils/CommunicationArtifactsHelper.java
index 371cef2821b6a408666faaa1a08619a6d7c4847d..362fdb3235135600cf80936d3cdc89b79d9c0a09 100644
--- a/bindings/java/src/org/sleuthkit/datamodel/blackboardutils/CommunicationArtifactsHelper.java
+++ b/bindings/java/src/org/sleuthkit/datamodel/blackboardutils/CommunicationArtifactsHelper.java
@@ -946,7 +946,7 @@ public void addAttachments(BlackboardArtifact message, MessageAttachments attach
 				assocObjectArtifacts.add(artifact);
 			}
 		}
-		
+
 		try {
 			Optional<Long> ingestJobId = getIngestJobId();
 			getSleuthkitCase().getBlackboard().postArtifacts(assocObjectArtifacts, getModuleName(), ingestJobId.orElse(null));