diff --git a/mapdraw.c b/mapdraw.c
index 1d07d74be9..5fc1bd4bf3 100644
--- a/mapdraw.c
+++ b/mapdraw.c
@@ -1362,7 +1362,7 @@ int msDrawQueryLayer(mapObj *map, layerObj *layer, imageObj *image)
     }
 
     for(i=0; i<layer->numclasses; i++) {
-      if(layer->type == MS_LAYER_POLYGON) { /* alter BOTTOM style since that's almost always the fill */
+      if(layer->type == MS_LAYER_POLYGON && layer->class[i]->numstyles > 0) { /* alter BOTTOM style since that's almost always the fill */
         if (layer->class[i]->styles == NULL) {
           msSetError(MS_MISCERR, "Don't know how to draw class %s of layer %s without a style definition.", "msDrawQueryLayer()", layer->class[i]->name, layer->name);
           msFree(colorbuffer);
@@ -1521,7 +1521,7 @@ int msDrawQueryLayer(mapObj *map, layerObj *layer, imageObj *image)
   /* if MS_HILITE, restore color and mindistance values */
   if(map->querymap.style == MS_HILITE) {
     for(i=0; i<layer->numclasses; i++) {
-      if(layer->type == MS_LAYER_POLYGON) {
+      if(layer->type == MS_LAYER_POLYGON && layer->class[i]->numstyles > 0) {
         if(MS_VALID_COLOR(layer->class[i]->styles[0]->color))
           layer->class[i]->styles[0]->color = colorbuffer[i];
         else if(MS_VALID_COLOR(layer->class[i]->styles[0]->outlinecolor))