diff --git a/opal/mca/dstore/base/dstore_base_stubs.c b/opal/mca/dstore/base/dstore_base_stubs.c
index 2040f31d83..140b89ce41 100644
--- a/opal/mca/dstore/base/dstore_base_stubs.c
+++ b/opal/mca/dstore/base/dstore_base_stubs.c
@@ -83,6 +83,10 @@ int opal_dstore_base_store(int dstorehandle,
 {
     opal_dstore_handle_t *hdl;
 
+    if (dstorehandle < 0) {
+        return OPAL_ERR_NOT_INITIALIZED;
+    }
+
     if (NULL == (hdl = (opal_dstore_handle_t*)opal_pointer_array_get_item(&opal_dstore_base.handles, dstorehandle))) {
         OPAL_ERROR_LOG(OPAL_ERR_NOT_FOUND);
         return OPAL_ERR_NOT_FOUND;
@@ -99,6 +103,11 @@ void opal_dstore_base_commit(int dstorehandle,
 {
     opal_dstore_handle_t *hdl;
 
+    if (dstorehandle < 0) {
+        OPAL_ERROR_LOG(OPAL_ERR_NOT_INITIALIZED);
+        return;
+    }
+
     if (NULL == (hdl = (opal_dstore_handle_t*)opal_pointer_array_get_item(&opal_dstore_base.handles, dstorehandle))) {
         OPAL_ERROR_LOG(OPAL_ERR_NOT_FOUND);
         return;
@@ -119,6 +128,10 @@ int opal_dstore_base_fetch(int dstorehandle,
 {
     opal_dstore_handle_t *hdl;
 
+    if (dstorehandle < 0) {
+        return OPAL_ERR_NOT_INITIALIZED;
+    }
+
     if (NULL == (hdl = (opal_dstore_handle_t*)opal_pointer_array_get_item(&opal_dstore_base.handles, dstorehandle))) {
         OPAL_ERROR_LOG(OPAL_ERR_NOT_FOUND);
         return OPAL_ERR_NOT_FOUND;
@@ -136,6 +149,10 @@ int opal_dstore_base_remove_data(int dstorehandle,
 {
     opal_dstore_handle_t *hdl;
 
+    if (dstorehandle < 0) {
+        return OPAL_ERR_NOT_INITIALIZED;
+    }
+
     if (NULL == (hdl = (opal_dstore_handle_t*)opal_pointer_array_get_item(&opal_dstore_base.handles, dstorehandle))) {
         OPAL_ERROR_LOG(OPAL_ERR_NOT_FOUND);
         return OPAL_ERR_NOT_FOUND;