--- a/src/session_impl.cpp
+++ b/src/session_impl.cpp
@@ -1237,6 +1237,7 @@ namespace aux {
 	ip_filter const& session_impl::get_ip_filter()
 	{
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(is_single_thread());
+		if (!m_ip_filter) m_ip_filter = boost::make_shared<ip_filter>();
 		return *m_ip_filter;
 	}
 
--- a/test/test_ip_filter.cpp
+++ b/test/test_ip_filter.cpp
@@ -89,6 +89,18 @@ void test_rules_invariant(std::vector<ip
 	}
 }
 
+TORRENT_TEST(session_get_ip_filter)
+{
+	using namespace libtorrent;
+	session ses;
+	ip_filter const& ipf = ses.get_ip_filter();
+#if TORRENT_USE_IPV6
+	TEST_EQUAL(boost::get<0>(ipf.export_filter()).size(), 1);
+#else
+	TEST_EQUAL(ipf.export_filter().size(), 1);
+#endif
+}
+
 TORRENT_TEST(ip_filter)
 {
 	using namespace libtorrent;