diff --git a/src/kvirc/sparser/KviIrcServerParser_numericHandlers.cpp b/src/kvirc/sparser/KviIrcServerParser_numericHandlers.cpp
index e485a2012..bce3c9cfb 100644
--- a/src/kvirc/sparser/KviIrcServerParser_numericHandlers.cpp
+++ b/src/kvirc/sparser/KviIrcServerParser_numericHandlers.cpp
@@ -943,7 +943,7 @@ void KviIrcServerParser::parseNumericWhoReply(KviIrcMessage * msg)
 				msg->console()->checkDefaultAvatar(e, szNick, szUser, szHost);
 			}
 			//still no avatar? check if the user is exposing the fact that he's got one
-			if(!e->avatar())
+			if(!e->avatar() && szReal.size() > 2)
 			{
 				if((szReal[0].unicode() == KviControlCodes::Color) && (szReal[1].unicode() & 4) && (szReal[2].unicode() == KviControlCodes::Reset))
 				{