diff --git a/src/joystick/emscripten/SDL_sysjoystick.c b/src/joystick/emscripten/SDL_sysjoystick.c
index c3becd291..c3edf4967 100644
--- a/src/joystick/emscripten/SDL_sysjoystick.c
+++ b/src/joystick/emscripten/SDL_sysjoystick.c
@@ -378,7 +378,9 @@ void
 SDL_SYS_JoystickClose(SDL_Joystick * joystick)
 {
     SDL_joylist_item *item = (SDL_joylist_item *) joystick->hwdata;
-    item->joystick = NULL;
+    if (item) {
+        item->joystick = NULL;
+    }
 }
 
 /* Function to perform any system-specific joystick related cleanup */