org.apache.axis2.AxisFault: The input stream for an incoming message is null

We are running Coldfusion 2016.  Code has a webservices call.  We are getting following error.  Code will work for a time, but appears to start failing under heavier load.  Once it starts failing it doesn't recover.  We have been redefining the webservice each time as a temporary workaround.  Once errors start, we no longer see activity on destination webserver, which implies issue is in Coldfusion, and not in destination.

org.apache.axis2.AxisFault: The input stream for an incoming message is null.

at org.apache.axis2.transport.TransportUtils.createSOAPMessage(TransportUtils.java:93)

at org.apache.axis2.transport.TransportUtils.createSOAPMessage(TransportUtils.java:68)

at org.apache.axis2.description.OutInAxisOperationClient.handleResponse(OutInAxisOperation.java:354)

at org.apache.axis2.description.OutInAxisOperationClient.send(OutInAxisOperation.java:421)

at org.apache.axis2.description.OutInAxisOperationClient.executeImpl(OutInAxisOperation.java:229)

at org.apache.axis2.client.OperationClient.execute(OperationClient.java:165)

at gov.gsa.advantage.vscsync.VscSynchronizationStub.synchronizeVendor(VscSynchronizationStub.java:181)

at sun.reflect.GeneratedMethodAccessor1042.invoke(Unknown Source)

at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source)

at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Unknown Source)

at coldfusion.xml.rpc.Axis2ServiceProxy.getResult(Axis2ServiceProxy.java:111)

at coldfusion.xm... ''