diff --git a/src/core/above-tab-keycode.c b/src/core/above-tab-keycode.c
index 56966ab0f..856afe5d9 100644
--- a/src/core/above-tab-keycode.c
+++ b/src/core/above-tab-keycode.c
@@ -76,6 +76,8 @@ compute_above_tab_keycode (Display *xdisplay)
   keyboard = XkbGetKeyboard (xdisplay,
                              XkbGBN_ClientSymbolsMask | XkbGBN_KeyNamesMask | XkbGBN_GeometryMask,
                              XkbUseCoreKbd);
+  if (!keyboard)
+    return best_keycode;
 
   geometry = keyboard->geom;