diff --git a/lib/krb5/config_file.c b/lib/krb5/config_file.c
index bfc0a74d8..3ad9ca4a9 100644
--- a/lib/krb5/config_file.c
+++ b/lib/krb5/config_file.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 1997 Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan
+ * Copyright (c) 1997, 1998 Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan
  * (Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden). 
  * All rights reserved. 
  *
@@ -385,6 +385,9 @@ krb5_config_vget_next (krb5_context context,
     const char *p;
 
     if(c == NULL)
+	c = context->cf;
+
+    if (c == NULL)
 	return NULL;
 
     if (*pointer == NULL) {