Index: src/encode.c
===================================================================
--- src/encode.c
+++ src/encode.c
@@ -551,11 +551,13 @@
 */
 char *unobscure(const char *zIn){
   int n, i;
   unsigned char salt;
   char *zOut;
-  
+
+  if( zIn==0 ) return 0;
+
   n = strlen(zIn);
   zOut = malloc( n + 1 );
   if( zOut==0 ) fossil_panic("out of memory");
   if( n<2
     || decode16((unsigned char*)zIn, &salt, 2)

