diff --git a/src/sbbs3/data_ovl.cpp b/src/sbbs3/data_ovl.cpp
index 9c1474a9b7d9b740ffeebf3d7c35657d23731e39..78d8d8ae06c3e928ec252de554348ddb98c306c2 100644
--- a/src/sbbs3/data_ovl.cpp
+++ b/src/sbbs3/data_ovl.cpp
@@ -57,7 +57,8 @@ void sbbs_t::getmsgptrs()
 
 void sbbs_t::putmsgptrs()
 {
-	::putmsgptrs(&cfg,&useron,subscan);
+	if(!::putmsgptrs(&cfg,&useron,subscan))
+		errormsg(WHERE, ERR_WRITE, "message pointers", 0);
 }
 
 static void ProgressSearchingUsers(void* cbdata, int count, int total)