diff --git a/src/bnetd/channel.cpp b/src/bnetd/channel.cpp
index ed5773f98..fb66e2193 100644
--- a/src/bnetd/channel.cpp
+++ b/src/bnetd/channel.cpp
@@ -699,7 +699,7 @@ namespace pvpgn
 					if (!((account_is_operator_or_admin(acc, channel_get_name(channel))) ||
 						(channel_conn_has_tmpVOICE(channel, me)) || (account_get_auth_voice(acc, channel_get_name(channel)) == 1)))
 					{
-						message_send_text(me, message_type_error, me, localize(c, "This channel is moderated"));
+						message_send_text(me, message_type_error, me, localize(me, "This channel is moderated"));
 						return;
 					}
 				}
diff --git a/src/bnetd/i18n.cpp b/src/bnetd/i18n.cpp
index 73a7e5f98..b98c63413 100644
--- a/src/bnetd/i18n.cpp
+++ b/src/bnetd/i18n.cpp
@@ -261,14 +261,16 @@ namespace pvpgn
 
 		extern std::string _localize(t_connection * c, const char * func, const char * fmt, const fmt::ArgList &args)
 		{
-			const char *format;
+			const char *format = fmt;
 			std::string output(fmt);
 			t_gamelang lang;
 
+			if (!c) {
+				eventlog(eventlog_level_error, __FUNCTION__, "got bad connection");
+				return format;
+			}
 			try
 			{
-				format = fmt;
-
 				if (lang = conn_get_gamelang_localized(c))
 				if (!(format = _find_string(fmt, lang)))
 					format = fmt; // if not found use original