Index: /trunk/psphot/src/psphotReadout.c
===================================================================
--- /trunk/psphot/src/psphotReadout.c	(revision 9779)
+++ /trunk/psphot/src/psphotReadout.c	(revision 9780)
@@ -68,4 +68,9 @@
     // use bright stellar objects to measure PSF
     pmPSF *psf = psphotChoosePSF (readout, sources, recipe);
+    if (psf == NULL) {
+        psError(PSPHOT_ERR_UNKNOWN, false, "failure to construct a psf model");
+        return false;
+    }
+
     if (!strcasecmp (breakPt, "PSFMODEL")) {
 	if (!psphotReadoutCleanup (config, readout, recipe, psf, sources)) return false;