diff --git a/connectivity/private/ft_notification.m b/connectivity/private/ft_notification.m
index cd0d2ddbcb..355e71c52b 100644
--- a/connectivity/private/ft_notification.m
+++ b/connectivity/private/ft_notification.m
@@ -330,8 +330,10 @@
     % store the last notification
     state.message    = strtrim(sprintf(varargin{:})); % remove the trailing newline
     state.identifier = msgId;
-    state.stack      = stack;
-    s = setstate(s, 'last', state);
+    if ~isempty(stack)
+      state.stack      = stack;
+      s = setstate(s, 'last', state);
+    end
     
     if strcmp(msgState, 'on')
       
diff --git a/fileio/private/ft_notification.m b/fileio/private/ft_notification.m
index cd0d2ddbcb..355e71c52b 100644
--- a/fileio/private/ft_notification.m
+++ b/fileio/private/ft_notification.m
@@ -330,8 +330,10 @@
     % store the last notification
     state.message    = strtrim(sprintf(varargin{:})); % remove the trailing newline
     state.identifier = msgId;
-    state.stack      = stack;
-    s = setstate(s, 'last', state);
+    if ~isempty(stack)
+      state.stack      = stack;
+      s = setstate(s, 'last', state);
+    end
     
     if strcmp(msgState, 'on')
       
diff --git a/forward/private/ft_notification.m b/forward/private/ft_notification.m
index cd0d2ddbcb..355e71c52b 100644
--- a/forward/private/ft_notification.m
+++ b/forward/private/ft_notification.m
@@ -330,8 +330,10 @@
     % store the last notification
     state.message    = strtrim(sprintf(varargin{:})); % remove the trailing newline
     state.identifier = msgId;
-    state.stack      = stack;
-    s = setstate(s, 'last', state);
+    if ~isempty(stack)
+      state.stack      = stack;
+      s = setstate(s, 'last', state);
+    end
     
     if strcmp(msgState, 'on')
       
diff --git a/inverse/private/ft_notification.m b/inverse/private/ft_notification.m
index cd0d2ddbcb..355e71c52b 100644
--- a/inverse/private/ft_notification.m
+++ b/inverse/private/ft_notification.m
@@ -330,8 +330,10 @@
     % store the last notification
     state.message    = strtrim(sprintf(varargin{:})); % remove the trailing newline
     state.identifier = msgId;
-    state.stack      = stack;
-    s = setstate(s, 'last', state);
+    if ~isempty(stack)
+      state.stack      = stack;
+      s = setstate(s, 'last', state);
+    end
     
     if strcmp(msgState, 'on')
       
diff --git a/plotting/private/ft_notification.m b/plotting/private/ft_notification.m
index cd0d2ddbcb..355e71c52b 100644
--- a/plotting/private/ft_notification.m
+++ b/plotting/private/ft_notification.m
@@ -330,8 +330,10 @@
     % store the last notification
     state.message    = strtrim(sprintf(varargin{:})); % remove the trailing newline
     state.identifier = msgId;
-    state.stack      = stack;
-    s = setstate(s, 'last', state);
+    if ~isempty(stack)
+      state.stack      = stack;
+      s = setstate(s, 'last', state);
+    end
     
     if strcmp(msgState, 'on')
       
diff --git a/preproc/private/ft_notification.m b/preproc/private/ft_notification.m
index cd0d2ddbcb..355e71c52b 100644
--- a/preproc/private/ft_notification.m
+++ b/preproc/private/ft_notification.m
@@ -330,8 +330,10 @@
     % store the last notification
     state.message    = strtrim(sprintf(varargin{:})); % remove the trailing newline
     state.identifier = msgId;
-    state.stack      = stack;
-    s = setstate(s, 'last', state);
+    if ~isempty(stack)
+      state.stack      = stack;
+      s = setstate(s, 'last', state);
+    end
     
     if strcmp(msgState, 'on')
       
diff --git a/specest/private/ft_notification.m b/specest/private/ft_notification.m
index cd0d2ddbcb..355e71c52b 100644
--- a/specest/private/ft_notification.m
+++ b/specest/private/ft_notification.m
@@ -330,8 +330,10 @@
     % store the last notification
     state.message    = strtrim(sprintf(varargin{:})); % remove the trailing newline
     state.identifier = msgId;
-    state.stack      = stack;
-    s = setstate(s, 'last', state);
+    if ~isempty(stack)
+      state.stack      = stack;
+      s = setstate(s, 'last', state);
+    end
     
     if strcmp(msgState, 'on')