diff --git a/src/sbbs3/sbbsecho.c b/src/sbbs3/sbbsecho.c
index 14258676fa2d9bdff5121e66c05e640a448d9740..0a9feb5dbe72f62fc7295844ab9307232f43bcc9 100644
--- a/src/sbbs3/sbbsecho.c
+++ b/src/sbbs3/sbbsecho.c
@@ -1213,9 +1213,9 @@ int create_netmail(const char *to, const smbmsg_t* msg, const char *subject, con
 	if(hdr.origpoint)
 		fprintf(fp,"\1FMPT %hu\r",hdr.origpoint);
 	fprintf(fp,"\1PID: %s\r", (msg==NULL || msg->ftn_pid==NULL) ? sbbsecho_pid() : msg->ftn_pid);
-	if(msg->columns)
-		fprintf(fp,"\1COLS: %u\r", (unsigned int)msg->columns);
 	if(msg != NULL) {
+		if(msg->columns)
+			fprintf(fp,"\1COLS: %u\r", (unsigned int)msg->columns);
 		/* Unknown kludge lines are added here */
 		for(int i=0; i<msg->total_hfields; i++)
 			if(msg->hfield[i].type == FIDOCTRL)