diff --git a/apps/app_read.c b/apps/app_read.c
index 977b20dc29..f4a965c8b4 100644
--- a/apps/app_read.c
+++ b/apps/app_read.c
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ static int read_exec(struct ast_channel *chan, const char *data)
 						break;
 					}
 					tmp[x++] = res;
-					if (strchr(terminator, tmp[x-1])) {
+					if (terminator && strchr(terminator, tmp[x-1])) {
 						tmp[x-1] = '\0';
 						status = "OK";
 						break;
diff --git a/main/app.c b/main/app.c
index f5fbffd7f7..411d5077b0 100644
--- a/main/app.c
+++ b/main/app.c
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ enum ast_getdata_result ast_app_getdata_terminator(struct ast_channel *c, const
 			fto = 50;
 			to = ast_channel_pbx(c) ? ast_channel_pbx(c)->dtimeoutms : 2000;
 		}
-		res = ast_readstring(c, s, maxlen, to, fto, S_OR(terminator, "#"));
+		res = ast_readstring(c, s, maxlen, to, fto, (terminator ? terminator : "#"));
 		if (res == AST_GETDATA_EMPTY_END_TERMINATED) {
 			return res;
 		}