diff --git a/src/celengine/stardb.cpp b/src/celengine/stardb.cpp
index cd13c177d..b7415c711 100644
--- a/src/celengine/stardb.cpp
+++ b/src/celengine/stardb.cpp
@@ -446,14 +446,17 @@ string StarDatabase::getStarNameList(const Star& star, const unsigned int maxNam
     StarNameDatabase::NumberIndex::const_iterator iter  = namesDB->getFirstNameIter(catalogNumber);
 
     unsigned int count = 0;
-    while (iter != namesDB->getFinalNameIter() && iter->first == catalogNumber && count < maxNames)
+    if (namesDB != NULL)
     {
-        if (count != 0)
-            starNames   += " / ";
+        while (iter != namesDB->getFinalNameIter() && iter->first == catalogNumber && count < maxNames)
+        {
+            if (count != 0)
+                starNames += " / ";
 
-        starNames   += ReplaceGreekLetterAbbr(iter->second.c_str());
-        ++iter;
-        ++count;
+             starNames += ReplaceGreekLetterAbbr(iter->second.c_str());
+             ++iter;
+             ++count;
+        }
     }
 
     uint32 hip  = catalogNumber;
diff --git a/src/celestia/celestiacore.cpp b/src/celestia/celestiacore.cpp
index bb89e9c30..f9760f5a2 100644
--- a/src/celestia/celestiacore.cpp
+++ b/src/celestia/celestiacore.cpp
@@ -4487,18 +4487,19 @@ bool CelestiaCore::readStars(const CelestiaConfig& cfg,
 {
     StarDetails::SetStarTextures(cfg.starTextures);
 
+    StarNameDatabase* starNameDB = NULL;
     ifstream starNamesFile(cfg.starNamesFile.c_str(), ios::in);
     if (!starNamesFile.good())
     {
         cerr << _("Error opening ") << cfg.starNamesFile << '\n';
-        return false;
     }
-
-    StarNameDatabase* starNameDB = StarNameDatabase::readNames(starNamesFile);
-    if (starNameDB == NULL)
+    else
     {
-        cerr << _("Error reading star names file\n");
-        return false;
+        starNameDB = StarNameDatabase::readNames(starNamesFile);
+        if (starNameDB == NULL)
+        {
+            cerr << _("Error reading star names file\n");
+        }
     }
 
     // First load the binary star database file.  The majority of stars
@@ -4525,6 +4526,8 @@ bool CelestiaCore::readStars(const CelestiaConfig& cfg,
         }
     }
 
+    if (starNameDB == NULL)
+        starNameDB = new StarNameDatabase();
     starDB->setNameDatabase(starNameDB);
 
     loadCrossIndex(starDB, StarDatabase::HenryDraper, cfg.HDCrossIndexFile);