diff --git a/src/gui/gui-completion.c b/src/gui/gui-completion.c
index 22c151f1d..9f8a20508 100644
--- a/src/gui/gui-completion.c
+++ b/src/gui/gui-completion.c
@@ -362,7 +362,7 @@ gui_completion_nickncmp (const char *base_word, const char *nick, int max)
 
     if (!CONFIG_STRING(config_completion_nick_ignore_chars)
         || !CONFIG_STRING(config_completion_nick_ignore_chars)[0]
-        || !base_word || !nick || !base_word[0] || !nick[0]
+        || !base_word[0] || !nick[0]
         || gui_completion_nick_has_ignored_chars (base_word))
     {
         return (case_sensitive) ?