diff --git a/src/fsfw/action/ActionHelper.cpp b/src/fsfw/action/ActionHelper.cpp
index 3dfe8b50f..3e9d121ac 100644
--- a/src/fsfw/action/ActionHelper.cpp
+++ b/src/fsfw/action/ActionHelper.cpp
@@ -55,7 +55,19 @@ void ActionHelper::setQueueToUse(MessageQueueIF* queue) {
 
 void ActionHelper::prepareExecution(MessageQueueId_t commandedBy,
         ActionId_t actionId, store_address_t dataAddress) {
-    const uint8_t* dataPtr = NULL;
+    if(ipcStore == nullptr) {
+#if FSFW_VERBOSE_LEVEL >= 1
+#if FSFW_CPP_OSTREAM_ENABLED == 1
+        sif::warning << "ActionHelper::prepareExecution: IPC Store not set. Call initialize first"
+                << std::endl;
+#else
+        sif::printWarning("ActionHelper::prepareExecution: "
+                "IPC Store not set. Call initialize first\n");
+#endif
+#endif /* FSFW_VERBOSE_LEVEL >= 1 */
+        return;
+    }
+    const uint8_t* dataPtr = nullptr;
     size_t size = 0;
     ReturnValue_t result = ipcStore->getData(dataAddress, &dataPtr, &size);
     if (result != HasReturnvaluesIF::RETURN_OK) {