diff --git a/WHATS_NEW_DM b/WHATS_NEW_DM
index c6192568c..634ec24a7 100644
--- a/WHATS_NEW_DM
+++ b/WHATS_NEW_DM
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 Version 1.02.70 - 
 ===================================
-  Validate name and uuid params of dm_tree_add_new_dev_with_udev_flags().  
+  Add pointer test for dependency check in _add_dev().
+  Validate name and uuid params of dm_tree_add_new_dev_with_udev_flags().
   Do not crash for dm_report_init() sort_key == NULL and behave like "".
   Return error for failing allocation in dm_asprintf().
   Add missing test for failing allocation in dm_realloc() code.
diff --git a/libdm/libdm-deptree.c b/libdm/libdm-deptree.c
index 0b16efa2c..dabd72253 100644
--- a/libdm/libdm-deptree.c
+++ b/libdm/libdm-deptree.c
@@ -1180,7 +1180,7 @@ static struct dm_tree_node *_add_dev(struct dm_tree *dtree,
 		goto out;
 
 	/* Can't recurse if not a mapped device or there are no dependencies */
-	if (!node->info.exists || !deps->count) {
+	if (!node->info.exists || !deps || !deps->count) {
 		if (!_add_to_bottomlevel(node)) {
 			stack;
 			node = NULL;