diff --git a/src/activity_item_handling.cpp b/src/activity_item_handling.cpp
index 4d66f24b8c7bb..355ef2b82df5c 100644
--- a/src/activity_item_handling.cpp
+++ b/src/activity_item_handling.cpp
@@ -1592,6 +1592,10 @@ static activity_reason_info can_do_activity_there( const activity_id &act, playe
 static std::vector<std::tuple<tripoint, itype_id, int>> requirements_map( player &p,
         const int distance = ACTIVITY_SEARCH_DISTANCE )
 {
+    std::vector<std::tuple<tripoint, itype_id, int>> requirement_map;
+    if( p.backlog.empty() || p.backlog.front().str_values.empty() ) {
+        return requirement_map;
+    }
     const requirement_data things_to_fetch = requirement_id( p.backlog.front().str_values[0] ).obj();
     const activity_id activity_to_restore = p.backlog.front().id();
     // NOLINTNEXTLINE(performance-unnecessary-copy-initialization)
@@ -1608,7 +1612,6 @@ static std::vector<std::tuple<tripoint, itype_id, int>> requirements_map( player
                              p.backlog.front().id() == activity_id( "ACT_VEHICLE_REPAIR" ) ||
                              p.backlog.front().id() == activity_id( "ACT_MULTIPLE_FISH" );
     // where it is, what it is, how much of it, and how much in total is required of that item.
-    std::vector<std::tuple<tripoint, itype_id, int>> requirement_map;
     std::vector<std::tuple<tripoint, itype_id, int>> final_map;
     std::vector<tripoint> loot_spots;
     std::vector<tripoint> already_there_spots;