diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 8277c10f45b7198dcbadd312ba62709488d3a188..bb34c7f726098724943995d95bca925bc997ec7c 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -5,4 +5,3 @@ build-release/
 *.pyc
 build-aux/flatpak/build/
 .flatpak-builder
-*.swp
diff --git a/app/diagram.c b/app/diagram.c
index f7830f56fba5731d0a4a3e0fb6c3e27631ac7261..5b066d3c724456e76c6ed64b10524fdfa1895873 100644
--- a/app/diagram.c
+++ b/app/diagram.c
@@ -1062,9 +1062,19 @@ diagram_find_clicked_object_except (Diagram *dia,
                                                avoid);
 }
 
-/*
+/**
+ * diagram_find_closest_handle:
+ * @dia: Diagram object
+ * @closest: (out): Handle object
+ * @object: DiaObject
+ * @pos: Point object
+ *
  * Always returns the last handle in an object that has
- * the closest distance
+ * the closest distance unless dia->data->selected was
+ * null.  Check that Handle object is not null.
+ *
+ * Returns: last Handle with closest distance or 1000000.0
+ *          if nothing is selected
  */
 real
 diagram_find_closest_handle(Diagram *dia, Handle **closest,
@@ -1080,6 +1090,10 @@ diagram_find_closest_handle(Diagram *dia, Handle **closest,
 
   *closest = NULL;
 
+  if (G_UNLIKELY (!dia->data->selected)) {
+    return mindist;
+  }
+
   l = dia->data->selected;
   while (l!=NULL) {
     obj = (DiaObject *) l->data;
@@ -1089,9 +1103,9 @@ diagram_find_closest_handle(Diagram *dia, Handle **closest,
       /* Note: Uses manhattan metric for speed... */
       dist = distance_point_point_manhattan(pos, &handle->pos);
       if (dist<=mindist) {
-	mindist = dist;
-	*closest = handle;
-	*object = obj;
+        mindist = dist;
+        *closest = handle;
+        *object = obj;
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/app/modify_tool.c b/app/modify_tool.c
index a86b8328c1b7d43ec0ce7d03dd8dc7c1a78bf9b5..526206e150d84faee52dcb29e2e72352eec1ed58 100644
--- a/app/modify_tool.c
+++ b/app/modify_tool.c
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ static int do_if_clicked_handle(DDisplay *ddisp, ModifyTool *tool,
 
   handle = NULL;
   diagram_find_closest_handle(ddisp->diagram, &handle, &obj, clickedpoint);
-  if  (handle_is_clicked(ddisp, handle, clickedpoint)) {
+  if (handle && handle_is_clicked (ddisp, handle, clickedpoint)) {
     tool->state = STATE_MOVE_HANDLE;
     tool->break_connections = TRUE;
     tool->last_to = handle->pos;