diff --git a/src/plugins/bearer/qnetworksession_impl.cpp b/src/plugins/bearer/qnetworksession_impl.cpp
index 1db59fec94ab7ebcaa93edbb0e0bc0fc00db2d5c..c5adc98af7bc70f73b88fef1bb0195274be45dad 100644
--- a/src/plugins/bearer/qnetworksession_impl.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/bearer/qnetworksession_impl.cpp
@@ -366,7 +366,8 @@ void QNetworkSessionPrivateImpl::networkConfigurationsChanged()
     else
         updateStateFromActiveConfig();
 
-    startTime = engine->startTime(activeConfig.identifier());
+    if (engine)
+        startTime = engine->startTime(activeConfig.identifier());
 }
 
 void QNetworkSessionPrivateImpl::configurationChanged(QNetworkConfigurationPrivatePointer config)