diff --git a/gst/timecode/gsttimecodestamper.c b/gst/timecode/gsttimecodestamper.c
index 35e3c3e0c5..81860d0dc8 100644
--- a/gst/timecode/gsttimecodestamper.c
+++ b/gst/timecode/gsttimecodestamper.c
@@ -302,7 +302,8 @@ gst_timecodestamper_reset_timecode (GstTimeCodeStamper * timecodestamper)
       timecodestamper->vinfo.interlace_mode ==
       GST_VIDEO_INTERLACE_MODE_PROGRESSIVE ? 0 :
       GST_VIDEO_TIME_CODE_FLAGS_INTERLACED, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0);
-  g_date_time_unref (jam);
+  if (jam)
+    g_date_time_unref (jam);
   if (timecodestamper->first_tc) {
     timecodestamper->current_tc->hours = timecodestamper->first_tc->hours;
     timecodestamper->current_tc->minutes = timecodestamper->first_tc->minutes;