--- edit/editlock.c
+++ edit/editlock.c
@@ -54,9 +54,10 @@
 {
     char host[BUF_SIZE];
     const char *user;
+    struct passwd *pw;
 
     if (!
-	((user = getpwuid (getuid ())->pw_name) || (user = getenv ("USER"))
+	(((pw = getpwuid (getuid ())) && (user = pw->pw_name)) || (user = getenv ("USER"))
 	 || (user = getenv ("USERNAME")) || (user = getenv ("LOGNAME"))))
 	user = "";