diff --git a/wpa_supplicant/config.c b/wpa_supplicant/config.c
index 4565329..c952c29 100644
--- a/wpa_supplicant/config.c
+++ b/wpa_supplicant/config.c
@@ -2218,8 +2218,10 @@
 		const struct parse_data *field = &ssid_fields[i];
 		if (os_strcmp(var, field->name) == 0) {
 			char *ret = field->writer(field, ssid);
-			if (os_strchr(ret, '\r') != NULL || os_strchr(ret, '\n') != NULL) {
-				wpa_printf(MSG_ERROR, "Found newline in value for %s; "
+			if (ret != NULL && (os_strchr(ret, '\r') != NULL ||
+				os_strchr(ret, '\n') != NULL)) {
+				wpa_printf(MSG_ERROR,
+					"Found newline in value for %s; "
 					"not returning it", var);
 				os_free(ret);
 				ret = NULL;