diff --git a/include/trace/events/sunrpc.h b/include/trace/events/sunrpc.h
index f45b3c01370c..2477014e3fa6 100644
--- a/include/trace/events/sunrpc.h
+++ b/include/trace/events/sunrpc.h
@@ -655,10 +655,10 @@ TRACE_EVENT(rpc_xdr_overflow,
 		__field(size_t, tail_len)
 		__field(unsigned int, page_len)
 		__field(unsigned int, len)
-		__string(progname,
-			 xdr->rqst->rq_task->tk_client->cl_program->name)
-		__string(procedure,
-			 xdr->rqst->rq_task->tk_msg.rpc_proc->p_name)
+		__string(progname, xdr->rqst ?
+			 xdr->rqst->rq_task->tk_client->cl_program->name : "unknown")
+		__string(procedure, xdr->rqst ?
+			 xdr->rqst->rq_task->tk_msg.rpc_proc->p_name : "unknown")
 	),
 
 	TP_fast_assign(