diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 944cd8ff3a..227fba41a2 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+Tue Jan 25 21:58:49 CET 2000  Sven Neumann <sven@gimp.org>
+
+	* app/layer.c: applied a change suggested by Steinar H. Gunderson.
+	Fixes crashing on empty images (bug #5536).
+
 Tue Jan 25 21:16:57 CET 2000  Sven Neumann <sven@gimp.org>
 
 	* app/gdisplay.c: disable "Layer to Imagesize" on empty images
diff --git a/app/core/gimplayer.c b/app/core/gimplayer.c
index e0a61b5a40..f17d961dfa 100644
--- a/app/core/gimplayer.c
+++ b/app/core/gimplayer.c
@@ -1099,7 +1099,7 @@ layer_has_alpha (Layer *layer)
 gboolean
 layer_is_floating_sel (Layer *layer)
 {
-  if (layer->fs.drawable != NULL)
+  if (layer != NULL && layer->fs.drawable != NULL)
     return TRUE;
   else
     return FALSE;
diff --git a/app/gimplayer.c b/app/gimplayer.c
index e0a61b5a40..f17d961dfa 100644
--- a/app/gimplayer.c
+++ b/app/gimplayer.c
@@ -1099,7 +1099,7 @@ layer_has_alpha (Layer *layer)
 gboolean
 layer_is_floating_sel (Layer *layer)
 {
-  if (layer->fs.drawable != NULL)
+  if (layer != NULL && layer->fs.drawable != NULL)
     return TRUE;
   else
     return FALSE;
diff --git a/app/layer.c b/app/layer.c
index e0a61b5a40..f17d961dfa 100644
--- a/app/layer.c
+++ b/app/layer.c
@@ -1099,7 +1099,7 @@ layer_has_alpha (Layer *layer)
 gboolean
 layer_is_floating_sel (Layer *layer)
 {
-  if (layer->fs.drawable != NULL)
+  if (layer != NULL && layer->fs.drawable != NULL)
     return TRUE;
   else
     return FALSE;