diff --git a/source/bforce/nodelist.c b/source/bforce/nodelist.c
index 82c1853..5e857a1 100644
--- a/source/bforce/nodelist.c
+++ b/source/bforce/nodelist.c
@@ -57,22 +57,23 @@ int nodelist_checkflag(const char *nodeflags, const char *flag)
 	char *q;
 	
 	DEB((D_NODELIST, "nodelist: checking flag \"%s\" in flags \"%s\"", flag, nodeflags));
-	
-	while( p = strcasestr(searchbase, flag) ) // p - found flag 
-	{
-		if( (p == searchbase) || (p != searchbase && *(p-1) == ',') )
+	if ( nodeflags ) {
+		while( p = strcasestr(searchbase, flag) ) // p - found flag 
 		{
-			if( (q = strchr(p, ',')) == NULL || (q - p) == strlen(flag) ) {
-				DEB((D_NODELIST, "nodelist: found flag %s", flag));
-				return 0;
+			if( (p == searchbase) || (p != searchbase && *(p-1) == ',') )
+			{
+				if( (q = strchr(p, ',')) == NULL || (q - p) == strlen(flag) ) {
+					DEB((D_NODELIST, "nodelist: found flag %s", flag));
+					return 0;
+				}
+				if( (strchrnul(p, ':') - p) == strlen(flag) ) {
+					DEB((D_NODELIST, "nodelist: found flag %s", flag));
+					return 0;
+				}
 			}
-			if( (strchrnul(p, ':') - p) == strlen(flag) ) {
-				DEB((D_NODELIST, "nodelist: found flag %s", flag));
-				return 0;
-			}
-		}
 		
-		searchbase = p + 1; // avoid finding again the same
+			searchbase = p + 1; // avoid finding again the same
+		}
 	}
 	
 	return 1;