Index: trunk/psastro/src/psastroLoadGhosts.c
===================================================================
--- trunk/psastro/src/psastroLoadGhosts.c	(revision 40490)
+++ trunk/psastro/src/psastroLoadGhosts.c	(revision 40552)
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@
   float zeropt, exptime, MAX_MAG;
   psMetadata *ghostModel = NULL;
-  psVector *C_terms;
-  psVector *R_terms;
-  float glintPixelScale;
+  psVector *C_terms = NULL;
+  psVector *R_terms = NULL;
+  float glintPixelScale = 0.0;
   
   psLogMsg ("psastro", PS_LOG_INFO, "determine ghost positions");
@@ -341,4 +341,10 @@
     R_terms = psMetadataLookupPtr(&status, refItem->data.md, "R_TERMS");
     glintPixelScale = psMetadataLookupF32(&status, refItem->data.md, "SCALE");
+  }
+
+  // really error-out here?  or just skip?
+  if (!R_terms) {
+    psLogMsg ("psastro", PS_LOG_INFO, "failed to find HSC ghost model for filter %s", filter);
+    goto escape;
   }