diff --git a/sw/source/core/layout/ftnfrm.cxx b/sw/source/core/layout/ftnfrm.cxx
index 0431934534f4..81699eb29d43 100644
--- a/sw/source/core/layout/ftnfrm.cxx
+++ b/sw/source/core/layout/ftnfrm.cxx
@@ -1102,7 +1102,8 @@ SwFootnoteFrame *SwFootnoteBossFrame::FindFirstFootnote()
             if ( pCont )
                 pNxt = static_cast<SwFootnoteFrame*>(pCont->Lower());
         }
-        if ( pNxt )
+
+        if ( pNxt && pNxt->GetRef() )
         {
             pRet = pNxt;
             pBoss = pRet->GetRef()->FindFootnoteBossFrame();
@@ -1147,10 +1148,11 @@ const SwFootnoteFrame *SwFootnoteBossFrame::FindFirstFootnote( SwContentFrame co
                 SwFootnoteContFrame *pCont = pBoss ? pBoss->FindNearestFootnoteCont() : nullptr;
                 pRet = pCont ? static_cast<SwFootnoteFrame*>(pCont->Lower()) : nullptr;
             }
+SAL_WARN("DEBUG","::FindFirstFootnote pRet["<<pRet<<"] Ref["<<(pRet && pRet->GetRef())<<"] footnoteboss["<<(pRet && pRet->GetRef() && pRet->GetRef()->FindFootnoteBossFrame())<<"]");
             if ( pRet )
             {
                 const SwFootnoteBossFrame* pBoss = pRet->GetRef()->FindFootnoteBossFrame();
-                if( pBoss->GetPhyPageNum() != nPageNum ||
+                if( !pBoss || pBoss->GetPhyPageNum() != nPageNum ||
                     nColNum != lcl_ColumnNum( pBoss ) )
                     pRet = nullptr;
             }