diff --git a/src/common/inbound.c b/src/common/inbound.c
index fae0fd34..86442fa8 100644
--- a/src/common/inbound.c
+++ b/src/common/inbound.c
@@ -940,7 +940,7 @@ inbound_notice (server *serv, char *to, char *nick, char *msg, char *ip, int id,
 		sess = find_channel (serv, ptr);
 
 	/* /notice [mode-prefix]#channel should end up in that channel */
-	if (!sess && strchr(serv->nick_prefixes, ptr[0]) != NULL)
+	if (!sess && ptr[0] && strchr(serv->nick_prefixes, ptr[0]) != NULL)
 	{
 		ptr++;
 		sess = find_channel (serv, ptr);