diff --git a/eeschema/getpart.cpp b/eeschema/getpart.cpp
index 062862f9db..5609875816 100644
--- a/eeschema/getpart.cpp
+++ b/eeschema/getpart.cpp
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@ SCH_BASE_FRAME::COMPONENT_SELECTION SCH_BASE_FRAME::SelectComponentFromLibTree(
     {
         LIB_ALIAS* alias = GetLibAlias( i.LibId );
 
+        // This can be null, for example when a symbol has been deleted from a library
         if( alias )
             history_list.push_back( alias );
     }
diff --git a/pcbnew/load_select_footprint.cpp b/pcbnew/load_select_footprint.cpp
index a33fb1f229..8a025c8312 100644
--- a/pcbnew/load_select_footprint.cpp
+++ b/pcbnew/load_select_footprint.cpp
@@ -227,17 +227,20 @@ MODULE* PCB_BASE_FRAME::SelectFootprintFromLibTree( LIB_ID aPreselect, bool aAll
     std::vector<LIB_TREE_ITEM*> historyInfos;
 
     for( auto const& item : s_ModuleHistoryList )
-        historyInfos.push_back( GFootprintList.GetModuleInfo( item ) );
+    {
+        LIB_TREE_ITEM* fp_info = GFootprintList.GetModuleInfo( item );
+
+        // this can be null, for example, if the footprint has been deleted from a library.
+        if( fp_info != nullptr )
+            historyInfos.push_back( fp_info );
+    }
 
     adapter->DoAddLibrary( "-- " + _( "Recently Used" ) + " --", wxEmptyString, historyInfos, true );
 
     if( aPreselect.IsValid() )
         adapter->SetPreselectNode( aPreselect, 0 );
     else if( historyInfos.size() )
-    {
-        if( historyInfos[0] )   // Can be null if the footprint was deleted since the last call
-            adapter->SetPreselectNode( historyInfos[0]->GetLibId(), 0 );
-    }
+        adapter->SetPreselectNode( historyInfos[0]->GetLibId(), 0 );
 
     adapter->AddLibraries();