diff --git a/modules/affile/affile-dest.c b/modules/affile/affile-dest.c
index 7cd2bcabef1..139d917a7b2 100644
--- a/modules/affile/affile-dest.c
+++ b/modules/affile/affile-dest.c
@@ -292,24 +292,28 @@ static void
 affile_dw_set_owner(AFFileDestWriter *self, AFFileDestDriver *owner)
 {
   GlobalConfig *cfg = log_pipe_get_config(&owner->super.super.super);
+  log_pipe_set_config(&self->super, cfg);
+
+  if (self->writer)
+    log_pipe_set_config((LogPipe *) self->writer, cfg);
 
   if (self->owner)
     log_pipe_unref(&self->owner->super.super.super);
-  log_pipe_ref(&owner->super.super.super);
+
+
   self->owner = owner;
-  self->super.expr_node = owner->super.super.super.expr_node;
+  if (self->owner) {
+    log_pipe_ref(&self->owner->super.super.super);
+    log_pipe_set_options(&self->super, &self->owner->super.super.super.options);
+    self->super.expr_node = self->owner->super.super.super.expr_node;
+  }
 
-  log_pipe_set_options(&self->super, &owner->super.super.super.options);
-  log_pipe_set_config(&self->super, cfg);
-  if (self->writer)
-    {
-      log_pipe_set_config((LogPipe *) self->writer, cfg);
+  if (self->writer && self->owner)
       log_writer_set_options(self->writer,
                              &self->super,
                              &owner->writer_options,
                              self->owner->super.super.id,
                              self->filename);
-    }
 }
 
 static void