diff --git a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/screen.cc b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/screen.cc
index c44e485dbe1..309ae3cff93 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/screen.cc
+++ b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/screen.cc
@@ -490,7 +490,9 @@ Panel *BKE_panel_new(PanelType *panel_type)
   Panel *panel = MEM_cnew<Panel>(__func__);
   panel->runtime = MEM_new<Panel_Runtime>(__func__);
   panel->type = panel_type;
-  STRNCPY(panel->panelname, panel_type->idname);
+  if (panel_type) {
+    STRNCPY(panel->panelname, panel_type->idname);
+  }
   return panel;
 }