diff --git a/src/db/dbConvert.c b/src/db/dbConvert.c
index d99cf7f33..303c1e1a8 100644
--- a/src/db/dbConvert.c
+++ b/src/db/dbConvert.c
@@ -416,7 +416,7 @@ static long getCharChar(
     char *pbuffer = (char *)pto;
     char *psrc=(char *)(paddr->pfield);
 
-    if (paddr->pfldDes->field_type == DBF_STRING) {
+    if (paddr->pfldDes && paddr->pfldDes->field_type == DBF_STRING) {
         /* This is a DBF_STRING field being read as a long string.
          * The buffer we return must be zero-terminated.
          */
@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@ static long getCharUchar(
     unsigned char *pbuffer = (unsigned char *)pto;
     char *psrc=(char *)(paddr->pfield);
 
-    if (paddr->pfldDes->field_type == DBF_STRING) {
+    if (paddr->pfldDes && paddr->pfldDes->field_type == DBF_STRING) {
         /* This is a DBF_STRING field being read as a long string.
          * The buffer we return must be zero-terminated.
          */