diff --git a/src/dblist.cpp b/src/dblist.cpp
index abede6921..0ab2e63aa 100644
--- a/src/dblist.cpp
+++ b/src/dblist.cpp
@@ -624,7 +624,7 @@ void objList::CheckForDeletedCharacterFuckery(struct char_data *ch, const char *
         continue;
       }
 
-      if (!str_cmp(GET_CHAR_NAME(owner), their_name)) {
+      if (GET_CHAR_NAME(owner) && !str_cmp(GET_CHAR_NAME(owner), their_name)) {
         mudlog_vfprintf(NULL, LOG_SYSLOG, "SYSERR: CheckForDeletedCharacterFuckery FOUND object %s (%ld) in objList after character deletion (name match)!", GET_OBJ_NAME(OBJ), GET_OBJ_VNUM(OBJ));
         found_something = TRUE;
         continue;
diff --git a/src/utils.cpp b/src/utils.cpp
index d8df196e1..30feffd1b 100644
--- a/src/utils.cpp
+++ b/src/utils.cpp
@@ -844,6 +844,8 @@ char *prep_string_for_writing_to_savefile(char *dest, const char *src)
 /* scan 'till found different or end of both                 */
 int str_cmp(const char *one, const char *two)
 {
+  if (!one || !two)
+    return 1;
   if (!*one || !*two)
     return 1;
   for (; *one; one++, two++) {