diff --git a/crypto/conf/conf.h b/crypto/conf/conf.h
index 39f21b69f2..9909374e84 100644
--- a/crypto/conf/conf.h
+++ b/crypto/conf/conf.h
@@ -214,6 +214,7 @@ void ERR_load_CONF_strings(void);
 #define CONF_F_CONF_LOAD_BIO				 102
 #define CONF_F_CONF_LOAD_FP				 103
 #define CONF_F_CONF_MODULES_LOAD			 116
+#define CONF_F_CONF_PARSE_LIST				 119
 #define CONF_F_DEF_LOAD					 120
 #define CONF_F_DEF_LOAD_BIO				 121
 #define CONF_F_MODULE_INIT				 115
@@ -233,6 +234,7 @@ void ERR_load_CONF_strings(void);
 
 /* Reason codes. */
 #define CONF_R_ERROR_LOADING_DSO			 110
+#define CONF_R_LIST_CANNOT_BE_NULL			 115
 #define CONF_R_MISSING_CLOSE_SQUARE_BRACKET		 100
 #define CONF_R_MISSING_EQUAL_SIGN			 101
 #define CONF_R_MISSING_FINISH_FUNCTION			 111
diff --git a/crypto/conf/conf_err.c b/crypto/conf/conf_err.c
index bc378a7704..25bb5dc9aa 100644
--- a/crypto/conf/conf_err.c
+++ b/crypto/conf/conf_err.c
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* crypto/conf/conf_err.c */
 /* ====================================================================
- * Copyright (c) 1999-2006 The OpenSSL Project.  All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 1999-2007 The OpenSSL Project.  All rights reserved.
  *
  * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
  * modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ static ERR_STRING_DATA CONF_str_functs[]=
 {ERR_FUNC(CONF_F_CONF_LOAD_BIO),	"CONF_load_bio"},
 {ERR_FUNC(CONF_F_CONF_LOAD_FP),	"CONF_load_fp"},
 {ERR_FUNC(CONF_F_CONF_MODULES_LOAD),	"CONF_modules_load"},
+{ERR_FUNC(CONF_F_CONF_PARSE_LIST),	"CONF_parse_list"},
 {ERR_FUNC(CONF_F_DEF_LOAD),	"DEF_LOAD"},
 {ERR_FUNC(CONF_F_DEF_LOAD_BIO),	"DEF_LOAD_BIO"},
 {ERR_FUNC(CONF_F_MODULE_INIT),	"MODULE_INIT"},
@@ -97,6 +98,7 @@ static ERR_STRING_DATA CONF_str_functs[]=
 static ERR_STRING_DATA CONF_str_reasons[]=
 	{
 {ERR_REASON(CONF_R_ERROR_LOADING_DSO)    ,"error loading dso"},
+{ERR_REASON(CONF_R_LIST_CANNOT_BE_NULL)  ,"list cannot be null"},
 {ERR_REASON(CONF_R_MISSING_CLOSE_SQUARE_BRACKET),"missing close square bracket"},
 {ERR_REASON(CONF_R_MISSING_EQUAL_SIGN)   ,"missing equal sign"},
 {ERR_REASON(CONF_R_MISSING_FINISH_FUNCTION),"missing finish function"},
diff --git a/crypto/conf/conf_mod.c b/crypto/conf/conf_mod.c
index 587211a59c..7c9b42f767 100644
--- a/crypto/conf/conf_mod.c
+++ b/crypto/conf/conf_mod.c
@@ -581,8 +581,14 @@ int CONF_parse_list(const char *list_, int sep, int nospc,
 	{
 	int ret;
 	const char *lstart, *tmpend, *p;
-	lstart = list_;
 
+	if(list_ == NULL)
+		{
+		CONFerr(CONF_F_CONF_PARSE_LIST, CONF_R_LIST_CANNOT_BE_NULL);
+		return 0;
+		}
+
+	lstart = list_;
 	for(;;)
 		{
 		if (nospc)