diff --git a/src/mesh/Router.cpp b/src/mesh/Router.cpp
index 92bf2b420..3ed4a898a 100644
--- a/src/mesh/Router.cpp
+++ b/src/mesh/Router.cpp
@@ -744,15 +744,19 @@ void Router::handleReceived(meshtastic_MeshPacket *p, RxSource src)
         MeshModule::callModules(*p, src);
 
 #if !MESHTASTIC_EXCLUDE_MQTT
-        // Mark as pki_encrypted if it is not yet decoded and MQTT encryption is also enabled, hash matches and it's a DM not to
-        // us (because we would be able to decrypt it)
-        if (decodedState == DecodeState::DECODE_FAILURE && moduleConfig.mqtt.encryption_enabled && p->channel == 0x00 &&
-            !isBroadcast(p->to) && !isToUs(p))
-            p_encrypted->pki_encrypted = true;
-        // After potentially altering it, publish received message to MQTT if we're not the original transmitter of the packet
-        if ((decodedState == DecodeState::DECODE_SUCCESS || p_encrypted->pki_encrypted) && moduleConfig.mqtt.enabled &&
-            !isFromUs(p) && mqtt)
-            mqtt->onSend(*p_encrypted, *p, p->channel);
+        if (p_encrypted == nullptr) {
+            LOG_WARN("p_encrypted is null, skipping MQTT publish");
+        } else {
+            // Mark as pki_encrypted if it is not yet decoded and MQTT encryption is also enabled, hash matches and it's a DM not
+            // to us (because we would be able to decrypt it)
+            if (decodedState == DecodeState::DECODE_FAILURE && moduleConfig.mqtt.encryption_enabled && p->channel == 0x00 &&
+                !isBroadcast(p->to) && !isToUs(p))
+                p_encrypted->pki_encrypted = true;
+            // After potentially altering it, publish received message to MQTT if we're not the original transmitter of the packet
+            if ((decodedState == DecodeState::DECODE_SUCCESS || p_encrypted->pki_encrypted) && moduleConfig.mqtt.enabled &&
+                !isFromUs(p) && mqtt)
+                mqtt->onSend(*p_encrypted, *p, p->channel);
+        }
 #endif
     }