diff --git a/Modules/Overlays/QmitkOverlay.cpp b/Modules/Overlays/QmitkOverlay.cpp
index 27c054f2b6..6738671cc5 100644
--- a/Modules/Overlays/QmitkOverlay.cpp
+++ b/Modules/Overlays/QmitkOverlay.cpp
@@ -1,78 +1,81 @@
 /*===================================================================
 
 The Medical Imaging Interaction Toolkit (MITK)
 
 Copyright (c) German Cancer Research Center, 
 Division of Medical and Biological Informatics.
 All rights reserved.
 
 This software is distributed WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without 
 even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR 
 A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
 
 See LICENSE.txt or http://www.mitk.org for details.
 
 ===================================================================*/
 
 #include "QmitkOverlay.h"
 
 #include <QBoxLayout>
 
 #include <QGraphicsDropShadowEffect>
 
 
 QmitkOverlay::QmitkOverlay( const char* id )
 :QObject()
 , m_Id(id)
 , m_Position(top_Left)
 , m_Layer(-1)
 , m_Widget(NULL)
 {
 }
 
 QmitkOverlay::~QmitkOverlay()
 {
   if (m_Widget) 
   {
     m_Widget->deleteLater();
     m_Widget = NULL;
   }
 }
 
 QmitkOverlay::DisplayPosition QmitkOverlay::GetPosition()
 {
   return m_Position;
 }
 
 void QmitkOverlay::SetPosition( DisplayPosition pos )
 {
   m_Position = pos;
 }
 
 unsigned int QmitkOverlay::GetLayer()
 {
   return m_Layer;
 }
 
 void QmitkOverlay::SetLayer( unsigned int layer )
 {
   m_Layer = layer;
 }
 
 QWidget* QmitkOverlay::GetWidget()
 {
   return m_Widget;
 }
 
 void QmitkOverlay::AddDropShadow( QWidget* widget )
 {
-  QGraphicsDropShadowEffect* effect = new QGraphicsDropShadowEffect(widget);
-  effect->setOffset( QPointF( 1.0, 1.0 ) );
-  effect->setBlurRadius( 0 );
-  effect->setColor( Qt::black );
-  
-  widget->setGraphicsEffect( effect );
+  if (m_Widget) 
+  {
+    QGraphicsDropShadowEffect* effect = new QGraphicsDropShadowEffect(widget);
+    effect->setOffset( QPointF( 1.0, 1.0 ) );
+    effect->setBlurRadius( 0 );
+    effect->setColor( Qt::black );
+
+    widget->setGraphicsEffect( effect );
+  }
 }