diff --git a/src/elogd.c b/src/elogd.c
index f0de41af..24ae5e42 100755
--- a/src/elogd.c
+++ b/src/elogd.c
@@ -7882,6 +7882,8 @@ void show_bottom_text(LOGBOOK * lbs)
    char str[NAME_LENGTH], slist[20][NAME_LENGTH], svalue[20][NAME_LENGTH];
    int i, size;
 
+   if (lbs == NULL)
+      return;
    if (getcfg(lbs->name, "bottom text", str, sizeof(str))) {
       FILE *f;
       char file_name[256], *buf;