diff --git a/src/errors.h b/src/errors.h
index 1843f3d..0e0377a 100644
--- a/src/errors.h
+++ b/src/errors.h
@@ -286,4 +286,6 @@
 	INIT(= N_("E1130: Cannot add to null list"));
 EXTERN char e_cannot_add_to_null_blob[]
 	INIT(= N_("E1131: Cannot add to null blob"));
+EXTERN char e_missing_function_argument[]
+	INIT(= N_("E1132: Missing function argument"));
 #endif
diff --git a/src/list.c b/src/list.c
index 1da4f3d..beea6fa 100644
--- a/src/list.c
+++ b/src/list.c
@@ -2552,8 +2552,11 @@
     }
     else
 	func_name = tv_get_string(&argvars[1]);
-    if (*func_name == NUL)
-	return;		// type error or empty name
+    if (func_name == NULL || *func_name == NUL)
+    {
+	emsg(_(e_missing_function_argument));
+	return;
+    }
 
     vim_memset(&funcexe, 0, sizeof(funcexe));
     funcexe.evaluate = TRUE;
diff --git a/src/testdir/test_listdict.vim b/src/testdir/test_listdict.vim
index ade37f8..6a7fc4c 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test_listdict.vim
+++ b/src/testdir/test_listdict.vim
@@ -740,6 +740,9 @@
 
   call assert_equal(42, reduce(test_null_list(), function('add'), 42))
   call assert_equal(42, reduce(test_null_blob(), function('add'), 42))
+
+  " should not crash
+  call assert_fails('echo reduce([1], test_null_function())', 'E1132:')
 endfunc
 
 " splitting a string to a List using split()
diff --git a/src/version.c b/src/version.c
index 714d038..8052de8 100644
--- a/src/version.c
+++ b/src/version.c
@@ -751,6 +751,8 @@
 static int included_patches[] =
 {   /* Add new patch number below this line */
 /**/
+    1945,
+/**/
     1944,
 /**/
     1943,