diff --git a/doc/Changelog b/doc/Changelog
index e6bdd8bb5..1172fe6a1 100644
--- a/doc/Changelog
+++ b/doc/Changelog
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 	- bug #229: fixup configure checks for compilation with Solaris 
 	  Sun cc compiler, ./configure CC=/opt/SUNWspro/bin/cc
 	- fixup suncc warnings.
+	- fix bug where unbound could crash using libevent 1.3 and older.
 
 14 January 2009: Wouter
 	- 1.2.1 feature: negative caching for failed queries.
diff --git a/util/netevent.c b/util/netevent.c
index efaa82d94..8cee50da3 100644
--- a/util/netevent.c
+++ b/util/netevent.c
@@ -169,12 +169,14 @@ comm_base_create(int sigs)
 		return NULL;
 	}
 	comm_base_now(b);
+	/* avoid event_get_method call which causes crashes even when
+	 * not printing, because its result is passed */
 	verbose(VERB_ALGO, "libevent %s uses %s method.", 
 		event_get_version(), 
 #ifdef HAVE_EVENT_BASE_GET_METHOD
 		event_base_get_method(b->eb->base)
 #else
-		event_get_method()
+		"not_obtainable"
 #endif
 	);
 	return b;