diff --git a/src/motif/window.cpp b/src/motif/window.cpp
index e51b353f98..3d778a7fa6 100644
--- a/src/motif/window.cpp
+++ b/src/motif/window.cpp
@@ -817,8 +817,9 @@ int wxWindow::GetScrollRange(int orient) const
     Widget scrollBar = (Widget)GetScrollbar((wxOrientation)orient);
     wxCHECK_MSG( scrollBar, 0, "no such scrollbar" );
 
-    int range;
-    XtVaGetValues(scrollBar, XmNmaximum, &range, NULL);
+    int range = 0;
+    if (scrollBar) 
+        XtVaGetValues(scrollBar, XmNmaximum, &range, NULL);
     return range;
 }