diff --git a/libs/gst/check/gstharness.c b/libs/gst/check/gstharness.c
index 38eb6e1365..bc1b7b1715 100644
--- a/libs/gst/check/gstharness.c
+++ b/libs/gst/check/gstharness.c
@@ -1129,7 +1129,7 @@ gst_harness_teardown (GstHarness * h)
   priv->propose_allocation_metas = NULL;
 
   /* if we hold the last ref, set to NULL */
-  if (gst_harness_element_unref (h) == 0) {
+  if (h->element != NULL && gst_harness_element_unref (h) == 0) {
     gboolean state_change;
     GstState state, pending;
     state_change = gst_element_set_state (h->element, GST_STATE_NULL);
@@ -1157,8 +1157,10 @@ gst_harness_teardown (GstHarness * h)
   g_ptr_array_unref (priv->stress);
   priv->stress = NULL;
 
-  gst_object_unref (h->element);
-  h->element = NULL;
+  if (h->element) {
+    gst_object_unref (h->element);
+    h->element = NULL;
+  }
 
   gst_object_replace ((GstObject **) & priv->testclock, NULL);
 
diff --git a/tests/check/libs/gstharness.c b/tests/check/libs/gstharness.c
index 01cf8418ee..7999b4bb94 100644
--- a/tests/check/libs/gstharness.c
+++ b/tests/check/libs/gstharness.c
@@ -25,6 +25,14 @@
 #include <gst/check/gstcheck.h>
 #include <gst/check/gstharness.h>
 
+GST_START_TEST (test_harness_empty)
+{
+  GstHarness *h = gst_harness_new_empty ();
+  gst_harness_teardown (h);
+}
+
+GST_END_TEST;
+
 static void
 create_destroy_element_harness (gpointer data, gpointer user_data)
 {
@@ -293,6 +301,7 @@ gst_harness_suite (void)
 
   suite_add_tcase (s, tc_chain);
 
+  tcase_add_test (tc_chain, test_harness_empty);
   tcase_add_test (tc_chain, test_harness_element_ref);
   tcase_add_test (tc_chain, test_src_harness);
   tcase_add_test (tc_chain, test_src_harness_no_forwarding);