diff --git a/src/settings.cpp b/src/settings.cpp
index 9a47d08406..072f04322b 100644
--- a/src/settings.cpp
+++ b/src/settings.cpp
@@ -567,7 +567,13 @@ static void ini_save_settings(IniFile *ini, const SettingDesc *sd, const char *g
 			case SLE_VAR_STRB: strcpy(buf, (char*)ptr); break;
 			case SLE_VAR_STRBQ:seprintf(buf, lastof(buf), "\"%s\"", (char*)ptr); break;
 			case SLE_VAR_STR:  strcpy(buf, *(char**)ptr); break;
-			case SLE_VAR_STRQ: seprintf(buf, "\"%s\"", lastof(buf), *(char**)ptr); break;
+			case SLE_VAR_STRQ:
+				if (*(char**)ptr == NULL) {
+					buf[0] = '\0';
+				} else {
+					seprintf(buf, lastof(buf), "\"%s\"", *(char**)ptr);
+				}
+				break;
 			case SLE_VAR_CHAR: buf[0] = *(char*)ptr; buf[1] = '\0'; break;
 			default: NOT_REACHED();
 			}