diff --git a/main/channel.c b/main/channel.c
index ceb8611812..58eac2a85e 100644
--- a/main/channel.c
+++ b/main/channel.c
@@ -3018,6 +3018,17 @@ static struct ast_frame *__ast_read(struct ast_channel *chan, int dropaudio)
 		ast_frame_dump(chan->name, f, "<<");
 	chan->fin = FRAMECOUNT_INC(chan->fin);
 
+	if (f && f->datalen == 0 && f->data) {
+		/* fix invalid pointer */
+		f->data = NULL;
+#ifdef AST_DEVMODE
+		ast_log(LOG_ERROR, "Found frame with src '%s' on channel '%s' with datalen zero, but non-null data pointer!\n", f->src, chan->name);
+		ast_frame_dump(chan->name, f, "<<");
+#else
+		ast_debug(3, "Found frame with src '%s' on channel '%s' with datalen zero, but non-null data pointer!\n", f->src, chan->name);
+#endif
+	}
+
 done:
 	if (chan->music_state && chan->generator && chan->generator->digit && f && f->frametype == AST_FRAME_DTMF_END)
 		chan->generator->digit(chan, f->subclass);