diff --git a/src/frontends/qt/TocWidget.cpp b/src/frontends/qt/TocWidget.cpp
index 957b3a64e0..cd346a889e 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt/TocWidget.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/qt/TocWidget.cpp
@@ -532,11 +532,11 @@ void TocWidget::filterContents()
 		activeFilterCO->currentIndex() != 1;
 
 	int size = indices.size();
+	QString const matchstring = filter_ ? filter_->text() : QString();
 	for (int i = 0; i < size; i++) {
 		QModelIndex index = indices[i];
-		bool matches = filter_ &&
-			index.data().toString().contains(
-				filter_->text(), Qt::CaseInsensitive);
+		bool matches = index.data().toString().contains(
+					matchstring, Qt::CaseInsensitive);
 		TocItem const & item =
 			gui_view_.tocModels().currentItem(current_type_, index);
 		matches &= (show_active && item.isOutput()) || (show_inactive && !item.isOutput());
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt/TocWidget.h b/src/frontends/qt/TocWidget.h
index 4f8c617c3e..df6c705280 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt/TocWidget.h
+++ b/src/frontends/qt/TocWidget.h
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ private:
 	// Timer for scheduling expensive update operations
 	QTimer * timer_;
 	/// Filter bar
-	FancyLineEdit * filter_;
+	FancyLineEdit * filter_ = nullptr;
 };
 
 } // namespace frontend