diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/ipw2x00/libipw_tx.c b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/ipw2x00/libipw_tx.c
index e8c039879b05..cb30b3b63635 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/ipw2x00/libipw_tx.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/ipw2x00/libipw_tx.c
@@ -397,7 +397,7 @@ netdev_tx_t libipw_xmit(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *dev)
 
 		/* Each fragment may need to have room for encryption
 		 * pre/postfix */
-		if (host_encrypt)
+		if (host_encrypt && crypt && crypt->ops)
 			bytes_per_frag -= crypt->ops->extra_mpdu_prefix_len +
 			    crypt->ops->extra_mpdu_postfix_len;