diff --git a/Engine/source/materials/matInstance.cpp b/Engine/source/materials/matInstance.cpp
index b7be80f3e..a61b75bf7 100644
--- a/Engine/source/materials/matInstance.cpp
+++ b/Engine/source/materials/matInstance.cpp
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ void MatInstance::construct()
 {
    mUserObject = NULL;
    mCurPass = -1;
-   mProcessedMaterial = false;
+   mProcessedMaterial = NULL;
    mVertexFormat = NULL;
    mMaxStages = 1;
    mActiveParameters = NULL;
diff --git a/Engine/source/materials/processedMaterial.cpp b/Engine/source/materials/processedMaterial.cpp
index 1a18ef225..34ce285a0 100644
--- a/Engine/source/materials/processedMaterial.cpp
+++ b/Engine/source/materials/processedMaterial.cpp
@@ -217,13 +217,13 @@ void ProcessedMaterial::_initPassStateBlock( RenderPassData *rpd, GFXStateBlockD
       _setBlendState( rpd->mBlendOp, result );
    }
 
-   if (mMaterial->isDoubleSided())
+   if (mMaterial && mMaterial->isDoubleSided())
    {
       result.cullDefined = true;
       result.cullMode = GFXCullNone;         
    }
 
-   if(mMaterial->mAlphaTest)
+   if(mMaterial && mMaterial->mAlphaTest)
    {
       result.alphaDefined = true;
       result.alphaTestEnable = mMaterial->mAlphaTest;
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ void ProcessedMaterial::_initPassStateBlock( RenderPassData *rpd, GFXStateBlockD
    NamedTexTarget *texTarget;
 
    U32 maxAnisotropy = 1;
-   if ( mMaterial->mUseAnisotropic[ rpd->mStageNum ] )
+   if (mMaterial &&  mMaterial->mUseAnisotropic[ rpd->mStageNum ] )
       maxAnisotropy = MATMGR->getDefaultAnisotropy();
 
    for( U32 i=0; i < rpd->mNumTex; i++ )
diff --git a/Engine/source/materials/processedShaderMaterial.cpp b/Engine/source/materials/processedShaderMaterial.cpp
index db6e70803..1265eeb5e 100644
--- a/Engine/source/materials/processedShaderMaterial.cpp
+++ b/Engine/source/materials/processedShaderMaterial.cpp
@@ -1256,7 +1256,7 @@ MaterialParameterHandle* ProcessedShaderMaterial::getMaterialParameterHandle(con
 /// This is here to deal with the differences between ProcessedCustomMaterials and ProcessedShaderMaterials.
 GFXShaderConstBuffer* ProcessedShaderMaterial::_getShaderConstBuffer( const U32 pass )
 {   
-   if (pass < mPasses.size())
+   if (mCurrentParams && pass < mPasses.size())
    {
       return static_cast<ShaderMaterialParameters*>(mCurrentParams)->getBuffer(pass);
    }