diff --git a/gnome/ChangeLog b/gnome/ChangeLog
index 2b6b94cd6..ba6cf7007 100644
--- a/gnome/ChangeLog
+++ b/gnome/ChangeLog
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 1998-04-16  Miguel de Icaza  <miguel@nuclecu.unam.mx>
 
+	* gscreen.c (x_panel_update_marks): Do only set the marks if the
+	widget has been created
+
 	* glayout.c (assign_other): Keep track of all of the opened
 	panels.  We were never removing them from the containers list.
 	This fixes a number of problems.
diff --git a/gnome/gscreen.c b/gnome/gscreen.c
index 724974cac..ce9db1ac9 100644
--- a/gnome/gscreen.c
+++ b/gnome/gscreen.c
@@ -109,6 +109,9 @@ x_panel_update_marks (WPanel *panel)
 	int ff = panel->dir_history->next ? 1 : 0;
 	int bf = panel->dir_history->prev ? 1 : 0;
 
+	if (!panel->fwd_b)
+		return;
+	
 	gtk_widget_set_sensitive (panel->fwd_b, ff);
 	gtk_widget_set_sensitive (panel->back_b, bf);
 }