diff --git a/src/pgtkfns.c b/src/pgtkfns.c
index e1766d2b1a6..ec708af374c 100644
--- a/src/pgtkfns.c
+++ b/src/pgtkfns.c
@@ -1902,6 +1902,8 @@ parse_resource_key (const char *res_key, char *setting_key)
 
   /* check existence of setting_key */
   GSettingsSchemaSource *ssrc = g_settings_schema_source_get_default ();
+  if (ssrc == NULL)
+    return NULL;		/* No GSettings schemas installed.  */
   GSettingsSchema *scm = g_settings_schema_source_lookup (ssrc, SCHEMA_ID, TRUE);
   if (!scm)
     return NULL;	/* *.schema.xml is not installed. */
diff --git a/src/xsettings.c b/src/xsettings.c
index 71cd6a9ad6c..3c4aff18fa2 100644
--- a/src/xsettings.c
+++ b/src/xsettings.c
@@ -1100,12 +1100,15 @@ init_gsettings (void)
 
 #if GLIB_CHECK_VERSION (2, 32, 0)
   {
-    GSettingsSchema *sc = g_settings_schema_source_lookup
-      (g_settings_schema_source_get_default (),
-       GSETTINGS_SCHEMA,
-       true);
-    schema_found = sc != NULL;
-    if (sc) g_settings_schema_unref (sc);
+    GSettingsSchemaSource *source = g_settings_schema_source_get_default
+      ();
+    if (source != NULL)
+      {
+	GSettingsSchema *sc = g_settings_schema_source_lookup
+	  (source, GSETTINGS_SCHEMA, true);
+	schema_found = sc != NULL;
+	if (sc) g_settings_schema_unref (sc);
+      }
   }
 #else
   {