diff --git a/WPrefs.app/Appearance.c b/WPrefs.app/Appearance.c
index 684fc07d..d570eba1 100644
--- a/WPrefs.app/Appearance.c
+++ b/WPrefs.app/Appearance.c
@@ -582,10 +582,10 @@ renderTexture(WMScreen *scr, proplist_t texture, int width, int height,
 
 	str = PLGetString(PLGetArrayElement(texture, 1));
 
-	path = wfindfileinarray(GetObjectForKey("PixmapPath"), str);
-	timage = RLoadImage(rc, path, 0);
+	if (path = wfindfileinarray(GetObjectForKey("PixmapPath"), str))
+        timage = RLoadImage(rc, path, 0);
 
-	if (!timage) {
+	if (!path || !timage) {
 	    wwarning("could not load file '%s': %s", path,
 		     RMessageForError(RErrorCode));
 	} else {