diff --git a/rbutil/rbutilqt/base/talkgenerator.cpp b/rbutil/rbutilqt/base/talkgenerator.cpp
index 16e1b15184..a2ab578ade 100644
--- a/rbutil/rbutilqt/base/talkgenerator.cpp
+++ b/rbutil/rbutilqt/base/talkgenerator.cpp
@@ -35,12 +35,19 @@ TalkGenerator::Status TalkGenerator::process(QList<TalkEntry>* list,int wavtrimt
     bool warnings = false;
 
     //tts
-    emit logItem(tr("Starting TTS Engine"),LOGINFO);
-    m_tts = TTSBase::getTTS(this,RbSettings::value(RbSettings::Tts).toString());
+    emit logItem(tr("Starting TTS Engine"), LOGINFO);
+    m_tts = TTSBase::getTTS(this, RbSettings::value(RbSettings::Tts).toString());
+    if(!m_tts)
+    {
+        qDebug() << "[TalkGenerator] getting the TTS object failed!";
+        emit logItem(tr("Init of TTS engine failed"), LOGERROR);
+        emit done(true);
+        return eERROR;
+    }
     if(!m_tts->start(&errStr))
     {
         emit logItem(errStr.trimmed(),LOGERROR);
-        emit logItem(tr("Init of TTS engine failed"),LOGERROR);
+        emit logItem(tr("Init of TTS engine failed"), LOGERROR);
         emit done(true);
         return eERROR;
     }
@@ -278,6 +285,11 @@ void TalkGenerator::setLang(QString name)
 
     QString engine = RbSettings::value(RbSettings::Tts).toString();
     TTSBase* tts = TTSBase::getTTS(this,RbSettings::value(RbSettings::Tts).toString());
+    if(!tts)
+    {
+        qDebug() << "[TalkGenerator] getting the TTS object failed!";
+        return;
+    }
     QString vendor = tts->voiceVendor();
     delete tts;
 
diff --git a/rbutil/rbutilqt/configure.cpp b/rbutil/rbutilqt/configure.cpp
index 9dee3f40c6..eef1fcf4e1 100644
--- a/rbutil/rbutilqt/configure.cpp
+++ b/rbutil/rbutilqt/configure.cpp
@@ -418,6 +418,13 @@ void Config::updateTtsState(int index)
     QString ttsName = ui.comboTts->itemData(index).toString();
     TTSBase* tts = TTSBase::getTTS(this,ttsName);
 
+    if(!tts)
+    {
+        QMessageBox::critical(this, tr("TTS error"),
+            tr("The selected TTS failed to initialize. You can't use this TTS."));
+        return;
+    }
+
     if(tts->configOk())
     {
         ui.configTTSstatus->setText(tr("Configuration OK"));
@@ -837,9 +844,14 @@ void Config::testTts()
     QString errstr;
     int index = ui.comboTts->currentIndex();
     TTSBase* tts;
-
-    ui.testTTS->setEnabled(false);
     tts = TTSBase::getTTS(this,ui.comboTts->itemData(index).toString());
+    if(!tts)
+    {
+        QMessageBox::critical(this, tr("TTS error"),
+            tr("The selected TTS failed to initialize. You can't use this TTS."));
+        return;
+    }
+    ui.testTTS->setEnabled(false);
     if(!tts->configOk())
     {
         QMessageBox::warning(this,tr("TTS configuration invalid"),
diff --git a/rbutil/rbutilqt/createvoicewindow.cpp b/rbutil/rbutilqt/createvoicewindow.cpp
index 8bd4e8d693..5b6ef16699 100644
--- a/rbutil/rbutilqt/createvoicewindow.cpp
+++ b/rbutil/rbutilqt/createvoicewindow.cpp
@@ -93,6 +93,12 @@ void CreateVoiceWindow::updateSettings(void)
 
     QString ttsName = RbSettings::value(RbSettings::Tts).toString();
     TTSBase* tts = TTSBase::getTTS(this,ttsName);
+    if(!tts)
+    {
+        QMessageBox::critical(this, tr("TTS error"),
+            tr("The selected TTS failed to initialize. You can't use this TTS."));
+        return;
+    }
     if(tts->configOk())
         ui.labelTtsProfile->setText(tr("Engine: <b>%1</b>")
             .arg(TTSBase::getTTSName(ttsName)));
diff --git a/rbutil/rbutilqt/installtalkwindow.cpp b/rbutil/rbutilqt/installtalkwindow.cpp
index 95aad659ed..9a723261b8 100644
--- a/rbutil/rbutilqt/installtalkwindow.cpp
+++ b/rbutil/rbutilqt/installtalkwindow.cpp
@@ -130,6 +130,12 @@ void InstallTalkWindow::updateSettings(void)
     QString mp = RbSettings::value(RbSettings::Mountpoint).toString();
     QString ttsName = RbSettings::value(RbSettings::Tts).toString();
     TTSBase* tts = TTSBase::getTTS(this,ttsName);
+    if(!tts)
+    {
+        QMessageBox::critical(this, tr("TTS error"),
+            tr("The selected TTS failed to initialize. You can't use this TTS."));
+        return;
+    }
     if(tts->configOk())
         ui.labelTtsProfile->setText(QString("<b>%1</b>")
             .arg(TTSBase::getTTSName(ttsName)));