diff --git a/desktop_version/src/Game.cpp b/desktop_version/src/Game.cpp
index 73fec9e0..74a780aa 100644
--- a/desktop_version/src/Game.cpp
+++ b/desktop_version/src/Game.cpp
@@ -292,6 +292,11 @@ void Game::init(void)
             const char* pKey = pElem->Value();
             const char* pText = pElem->GetText() ;
 
+            if (pText == NULL)
+            {
+                pText = "";
+            }
+
             if (SDL_strcmp(pKey, "summary") == 0)
             {
                 quicksummary = pText;
@@ -332,6 +337,11 @@ void Game::init(void)
             const char* pKey = pElem->Value();
             const char* pText = pElem->GetText() ;
 
+            if (pText == NULL)
+            {
+                pText = "";
+            }
+
             if (SDL_strcmp(pKey, "summary") == 0)
             {
                 telesummary = pText;
@@ -4016,6 +4026,11 @@ void Game::loadstats(ScreenSettings* screen_settings)
         const char* pKey = pElem->Value();
         const char* pText = pElem->GetText() ;
 
+        if (pText == NULL)
+        {
+            pText = "";
+        }
+
         LOAD_ARRAY(unlock)
 
         LOAD_ARRAY(unlocknotify)
@@ -4073,6 +4088,11 @@ void Game::deserializesettings(tinyxml2::XMLElement* dataNode, ScreenSettings* s
         const char* pKey = pElem->Value();
         const char* pText = pElem->GetText();
 
+        if (pText == NULL)
+        {
+            pText = "";
+        }
+
         if (SDL_strcmp(pKey, "fullscreen") == 0)
         {
             screen_settings->fullscreen = help.Int(pText);
@@ -5132,6 +5152,11 @@ void Game::loadsummary(void)
             const char* pKey = pElem->Value();
             const char* pText = pElem->GetText() ;
 
+            if (pText == NULL)
+            {
+                pText = "";
+            }
+
             if (SDL_strcmp(pKey, "summary") == 0)
             {
                 telesummary = pText;
@@ -5209,6 +5234,11 @@ void Game::loadsummary(void)
             const char* pKey = pElem->Value();
             const char* pText = pElem->GetText() ;
 
+            if (pText == NULL)
+            {
+                pText = "";
+            }
+
             if (SDL_strcmp(pKey, "summary") == 0)
             {
                 quicksummary = pText;