diff --git a/lisp/org-footnote.el b/lisp/org-footnote.el
index 43815aeb0..0cd6cee53 100644
--- a/lisp/org-footnote.el
+++ b/lisp/org-footnote.el
@@ -651,7 +651,8 @@ Additional note on `org-footnote-insert-pos-for-preprocessor':
 				     (org-combine-plists
 				      export-props
 				      '(:todo-keywords t :tags t :priority t))))
-				(org-export-preprocess-string def parameters))
+				(if def
+				    (org-export-preprocess-string def parameters)))
 			    def)
 			  inlinep) ref-table)))
 	  ;; Remove definition of non-inlined footnotes.