diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index df55c836..18ec812d 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+2006-11-26  Pierre Hanser  <hanser@club-internet.fr>
+
+	* src/truetype/ttobjs.c (tt_face_init): Protect against NULL pointer.
+
 2006-11-25  David Turner    <david@freetype.org>
 
         * src/autofit/afhints.c: add stubs to link the "ftgrid" test program
diff --git a/src/truetype/ttobjs.c b/src/truetype/ttobjs.c
index 365d9c87..fc620c5e 100644
--- a/src/truetype/ttobjs.c
+++ b/src/truetype/ttobjs.c
@@ -283,7 +283,8 @@
         /* be worth to do more checks for a few special cases.           */
         for ( nn = 0; trick_names[nn] != NULL; nn++ )
         {
-          if ( ft_strcmp( ttface->family_name, trick_names[nn] ) == 0 )
+          if ( ttface->family                                         &&
+               ft_strcmp( ttface->family_name, trick_names[nn] ) == 0 )
           {
             unpatented_hinting = 1;
             break;