diff --git a/C/text.c b/C/text.c
index 7d0efccc2..2be9a9333 100644
--- a/C/text.c
+++ b/C/text.c
@@ -144,6 +144,13 @@ SkipListCodes(Term *l, Term **tailp, Int *atoms, int *wide)
   do_derefa(v,l,derefa_unk,derefa_nonvar);
   s = l;
 
+
+  if (*l == TermNil) {
+    *tailp = l;
+    *atoms = 0;
+    *wide = FALSE;
+    return 0;
+  }
   if ( IsPairTerm(*l) )
   { intptr_t power = 1, lam = 0;
     do
@@ -468,7 +475,7 @@ read_Text( void *buf, seq_tv_t *inp, encoding_t *enc, int *minimal USES_REGS)
 	  LOCAL_Error_TYPE = gen_type_error( inp->type );
 	  LOCAL_Error_Term = t;
 	}	 
-      } else if (IsPairTerm(t)) {
+      } else if (IsPairTerm(t) || t == TermNil) {
 	if (inp->type & (YAP_STRING_CODES|YAP_STRING_ATOMS)) {
 	  inp->type &= (YAP_STRING_CODES|YAP_STRING_ATOMS);
 	  return read_Text( buf, inp, enc, minimal PASS_REGS);