diff --git a/docs/changes.txt b/docs/changes.txt
index 720a221077..7778da28d2 100644
--- a/docs/changes.txt
+++ b/docs/changes.txt
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ All (GUI):
 - Added wxWindow::ClientToWindowSize() and WindowToClientSize() helpers.
 - Added wxSizer::ComputeFittingClientSize() and ComputeFittingWindowSize().
 - Fixed wxSizer::SetSizeHints() to work when the best size decreases.
+- Fixed crash in wxHtmlHelpController if the help window is still open.
 
 All (Unix):
 
diff --git a/src/html/helpctrl.cpp b/src/html/helpctrl.cpp
index a0c120aa75..206e868051 100644
--- a/src/html/helpctrl.cpp
+++ b/src/html/helpctrl.cpp
@@ -87,12 +87,13 @@ void wxHtmlHelpController::OnCloseFrame(wxCloseEvent& evt)
 {
     if (m_Config)
         WriteCustomization(m_Config, m_ConfigRoot);
-    
+
     evt.Skip();
 
     OnQuit();
 
-    m_helpWindow->SetController(NULL);
+    if ( m_helpWindow )
+        m_helpWindow->SetController(NULL);
     m_helpWindow = NULL;
     m_helpDialog = NULL;
     m_helpFrame = NULL;
diff --git a/src/html/helpfrm.cpp b/src/html/helpfrm.cpp
index c3a082efb9..91e3edf860 100644
--- a/src/html/helpfrm.cpp
+++ b/src/html/helpfrm.cpp
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ bool wxHtmlHelpFrame::Create(wxWindow* parent, wxWindowID id,
                              wxConfigBase *config, const wxString& rootpath)
 {
     m_HtmlHelpWin = new wxHtmlHelpWindow(m_Data);
+    m_HtmlHelpWin->SetController(m_helpController);
     if ( config)
         m_HtmlHelpWin->UseConfig(config, rootpath);
     
diff --git a/src/html/helpwnd.cpp b/src/html/helpwnd.cpp
index 69c8418644..45b337ed66 100644
--- a/src/html/helpwnd.cpp
+++ b/src/html/helpwnd.cpp
@@ -592,6 +592,9 @@ bool wxHtmlHelpWindow::Create(wxWindow* parent, wxWindowID id,
 
 wxHtmlHelpWindow::~wxHtmlHelpWindow()
 {
+    if ( m_helpController )
+        m_helpController->SetHelpWindow(NULL);
+
     delete m_mergedIndex;
 
     // PopEventHandler(); // wxhtmlhelpcontroller (not any more!)