diff --git a/src/db/db/dbManager.h b/src/db/db/dbManager.h
index b818cdaa7..c0e0ce3ee 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbManager.h
+++ b/src/db/db/dbManager.h
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@ public:
 
   void open ()
   {
-    if (! mp_manager->transacting ()) {
+    if (mp_manager && ! mp_manager->transacting ()) {
       mp_manager->transaction (m_description, m_transaction_id);
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/laybasic/laybasic/layEditable.cc b/src/laybasic/laybasic/layEditable.cc
index c90cc7663..4adbed801 100644
--- a/src/laybasic/laybasic/layEditable.cc
+++ b/src/laybasic/laybasic/layEditable.cc
@@ -107,7 +107,9 @@ Editables::del (db::Transaction *transaction)
       cancel_edits ();
 
       //  this dummy operation will update the screen:
-      manager ()->queue (this, new db::Op ());
+      if (manager ()) {
+        manager ()->queue (this, new db::Op ());
+      }
 
       for (iterator e = begin (); e != end (); ++e) {
         e->del ();
@@ -129,7 +131,9 @@ Editables::cut ()
     cancel_edits ();
 
     //  this dummy operation will update the screen:
-    manager ()->queue (this, new db::Op ());
+    if (manager ()) {
+      manager ()->queue (this, new db::Op ());
+    }
 
     db::Clipboard::instance ().clear ();
     for (iterator e = begin (); e != end (); ++e) {
@@ -186,7 +190,9 @@ Editables::transform (const db::DCplxTrans &t, db::Transaction *transaction)
       trans_holder->open ();
 
       //  this dummy operation will update the screen:
-      manager ()->queue (this, new db::Op ());
+      if (manager ()) {
+        manager ()->queue (this, new db::Op ());
+      }
 
       for (iterator e = begin (); e != end (); ++e) {
         e->transform (t);
@@ -208,7 +214,7 @@ Editables::paste ()
     cancel_edits ();
 
     //  this dummy operation will update the screen:
-    if (manager ()->transacting ()) {
+    if (manager () && manager ()->transacting ()) {
       manager ()->queue (this, new db::Op ());
     }
 
@@ -610,7 +616,9 @@ Editables::end_move (const db::DPoint &p, lay::angle_constraint_type ac, db::Tra
     trans_holder->open ();
 
     //  this dummy operation will update the screen:
-    manager ()->queue (this, new db::Op ());
+    if (manager ()) {
+      manager ()->queue (this, new db::Op ());
+    }
 
     for (iterator e = begin (); e != end (); ++e) {
       e->end_move (p, ac);