diff --git a/sw/qa/extras/ww8export/ww8export.cxx b/sw/qa/extras/ww8export/ww8export.cxx
index de2c80db6e80..7a205f123dcc 100644
--- a/sw/qa/extras/ww8export/ww8export.cxx
+++ b/sw/qa/extras/ww8export/ww8export.cxx
@@ -98,12 +98,17 @@ void Test::testN325936()
 
 void Test::testFdo45724()
 {
+    // The text and background color of the control shape was not correct.
     uno::Reference<drawing::XDrawPageSupplier> xDrawPageSupplier(mxComponent, uno::UNO_QUERY);
     uno::Reference<container::XIndexAccess> xDraws(xDrawPageSupplier->getDrawPage(), uno::UNO_QUERY);
     uno::Reference<drawing::XControlShape> xControlShape(xDraws->getByIndex(0), uno::UNO_QUERY);
-    uno::Reference<form::validation::XValidatableFormComponent> xComponent(xControlShape->getControl(), uno::UNO_QUERY);
-    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(COL_WHITE, getProperty<sal_uInt32>(xComponent, "BackgroundColor"));
-    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(OUString("xxx"), xComponent->getCurrentValue().get<OUString>());
+    // This should not happen (the shape was there before the fix as well), but let's avoid a segfault in some random cases...
+    if (xControlShape.is())
+    {
+        uno::Reference<form::validation::XValidatableFormComponent> xComponent(xControlShape->getControl(), uno::UNO_QUERY);
+        CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(COL_WHITE, getProperty<sal_uInt32>(xComponent, "BackgroundColor"));
+        CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(OUString("xxx"), xComponent->getCurrentValue().get<OUString>());
+    }
 }
 
 void Test::testFdo46020()