diff --git a/Code/Mantid/Vates/VatesSimpleGui/ViewWidgets/src/SplatterPlotView.cpp b/Code/Mantid/Vates/VatesSimpleGui/ViewWidgets/src/SplatterPlotView.cpp
index 50430c615b3914bb9752f905f35c43d3c603a987..e3b5e452c4c1527ef303749ee759780ec2299191 100644
--- a/Code/Mantid/Vates/VatesSimpleGui/ViewWidgets/src/SplatterPlotView.cpp
+++ b/Code/Mantid/Vates/VatesSimpleGui/ViewWidgets/src/SplatterPlotView.cpp
@@ -150,6 +150,13 @@ void SplatterPlotView::render()
   pqPipelineSource *src = NULL;
   src = pqActiveObjects::instance().activeSource();
 
+  // Hedge for no active source
+  if (!src)
+  {
+    g_log.warning() << "SplatterPlotView: Active source is NULL. Cannot render.";
+    return;
+  }
+
   QString renderType = "Points";
   pqObjectBuilder* builder = pqApplicationCore::instance()->getObjectBuilder();