diff --git a/main/bridge_channel.c b/main/bridge_channel.c
index 3c5e87b574..7e058af3c0 100644
--- a/main/bridge_channel.c
+++ b/main/bridge_channel.c
@@ -657,8 +657,13 @@ static int bridge_channel_write_frame(struct ast_bridge_channel *bridge_channel,
 
 	ast_bridge_channel_lock_bridge(bridge_channel);
 
-	/* Map the frame to the bridge. */
-	if (ast_channel_is_multistream(bridge_channel->chan)) {
+	/*
+	 * Map the frame to the bridge.
+	 * We need to lock the bridge_channel to make sure that bridge_channel->chan
+	 * isn't NULL and keep it locked while we do multistream processing.
+	 */
+	ast_bridge_channel_lock(bridge_channel);
+	if (bridge_channel->chan && ast_channel_is_multistream(bridge_channel->chan)) {
 		unmapped_stream_num = frame->stream_num;
 		switch (frame->frametype) {
 		case AST_FRAME_VOICE:
@@ -672,12 +677,10 @@ static int bridge_channel_write_frame(struct ast_bridge_channel *bridge_channel,
 				frame->stream_num = -1;
 				break;
 			}
-			ast_bridge_channel_lock(bridge_channel);
 			if (frame->stream_num < (int)AST_VECTOR_SIZE(&bridge_channel->stream_map.to_bridge)) {
 				frame->stream_num = AST_VECTOR_GET(
 					&bridge_channel->stream_map.to_bridge, frame->stream_num);
 				if (0 <= frame->stream_num) {
-					ast_bridge_channel_unlock(bridge_channel);
 					break;
 				}
 			}
@@ -703,6 +706,7 @@ static int bridge_channel_write_frame(struct ast_bridge_channel *bridge_channel,
 		unmapped_stream_num = -1;
 		frame->stream_num = -1;
 	}
+	ast_bridge_channel_unlock(bridge_channel);
 
 	deferred = bridge_channel->bridge->technology->write(bridge_channel->bridge, bridge_channel, frame);
 	if (deferred) {
diff --git a/main/channel_internal_api.c b/main/channel_internal_api.c
index e528fd3fe6..d5a5d3c131 100644
--- a/main/channel_internal_api.c
+++ b/main/channel_internal_api.c
@@ -1587,5 +1587,5 @@ void ast_channel_internal_swap_stream_topology(struct ast_channel *chan1,
 
 int ast_channel_is_multistream(struct ast_channel *chan)
 {
-	return (chan->tech && chan->tech->read_stream && chan->tech->write_stream);
+	return (chan && chan->tech && chan->tech->read_stream && chan->tech->write_stream);
 }