diff --git a/lib/kadm5/context_s.c b/lib/kadm5/context_s.c
index 8d8f84372..a8d4b30cb 100644
--- a/lib/kadm5/context_s.c
+++ b/lib/kadm5/context_s.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 1997, 1998, 1999 Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan
+ * Copyright (c) 1997 - 2000 Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan
  * (Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden). 
  * All rights reserved. 
  *
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ _kadm5_s_init_context(kadm5_server_context **ctx,
     set_funcs(*ctx);
     (*ctx)->context = context;
     krb5_add_et_list (context, initialize_kadm5_error_table_r);
-#define is_set(M) (params->mask & KADM5_CONFIG_ ## M)
+#define is_set(M) (params && params->mask & KADM5_CONFIG_ ## M)
     if(is_set(REALM))
 	(*ctx)->config.realm = strdup(params->realm);
     else