diff --git a/doc/Changelog b/doc/Changelog
index 39555c3a1..b0c684630 100644
--- a/doc/Changelog
+++ b/doc/Changelog
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 	- fix reading included config files when chrooted.
 	  Give full path names for include files.
 	  Relative path names work if the start dir equals the working dir.
+	- fix libunbound message transport when no packet buffer is available.
 
 5 January 2009: Wouter
 	- fixup getaddrinfo failure handling for remote control port.
diff --git a/libunbound/libworker.c b/libunbound/libworker.c
index b18d55514..10baff79a 100644
--- a/libunbound/libworker.c
+++ b/libunbound/libworker.c
@@ -539,11 +539,15 @@ add_bg_result(struct libworker* w, struct ctx_query* q, ldns_buffer* pkt,
 	/* serialize and delete unneeded q */
 	if(w->is_bg_thread) {
 		lock_basic_lock(&w->ctx->cfglock);
-		q->msg_len = ldns_buffer_remaining(pkt);
-		q->msg = memdup(ldns_buffer_begin(pkt), q->msg_len);
-		if(!q->msg)
-			msg = context_serialize_answer(q, UB_NOMEM, NULL, &len);
-		else	msg = context_serialize_answer(q, err, NULL, &len);
+		if(pkt) {
+			q->msg_len = ldns_buffer_remaining(pkt);
+			q->msg = memdup(ldns_buffer_begin(pkt), q->msg_len);
+			if(!q->msg)
+				msg = context_serialize_answer(q, UB_NOMEM, 
+				NULL, &len);
+			else	msg = context_serialize_answer(q, err, 
+				NULL, &len);
+		} else msg = context_serialize_answer(q, err, NULL, &len);
 		lock_basic_unlock(&w->ctx->cfglock);
 	} else {
 		msg = context_serialize_answer(q, err, pkt, &len);