diff --git a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/deform.c b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/deform.c
index fecafc701a6..ccb6ebe1f1e 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/deform.c
+++ b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/deform.c
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ int defgroup_name_index (Object *ob, const char *name)
 	bDeformGroup *curdef;
 	int def_nr;
 	
-	if(name[0] != '\0') {
+	if(name && name[0] != '\0') {
 		for (curdef=ob->defbase.first, def_nr=0; curdef; curdef=curdef->next, def_nr++) {
 			if (!strcmp(curdef->name, name))
 				return def_nr;