diff --git a/elfio/elfio.hpp b/elfio/elfio.hpp
index d798961..fc1a75f 100644
--- a/elfio/elfio.hpp
+++ b/elfio/elfio.hpp
@@ -50,19 +50,21 @@ THE SOFTWARE.
 TYPE                                           \
 get_##FNAME() const                            \
 {                                              \
-    return header->get_##FNAME();              \
+  return header? header->get_##FNAME() : 0;    \
 }
 
 #define ELFIO_HEADER_ACCESS_GET_SET( TYPE, FNAME ) \
 TYPE                                               \
 get_##FNAME() const                                \
 {                                                  \
-    return header->get_##FNAME();                  \
+  return header? header->get_##FNAME() : 0;        \
 }                                                  \
 void                                               \
 set_##FNAME( TYPE val )                            \
-{                                                  \
-    header->set_##FNAME( val );                    \
+{ 						   \
+  if (header) { 			    	   \
+      header->set_##FNAME( val );                  \
+  } 						   \
 }                                                  \
 
 namespace ELFIO {
diff --git a/elfio/elfio_dump.hpp b/elfio/elfio_dump.hpp
index cd145e7..913011e 100644
--- a/elfio/elfio_dump.hpp
+++ b/elfio/elfio_dump.hpp
@@ -429,18 +429,22 @@ class dump
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     static void
     header( std::ostream& out, const elfio& reader )
-    {
-        out << "ELF Header"     << std::endl                               << std::endl
-            << "  Class:      " << str_class( reader.get_class() )         << std::endl
-            << "  Encoding:   " << str_endian( reader.get_encoding() )     << std::endl
-            << "  ELFVersion: " << str_version( reader.get_elf_version() ) << std::endl
-            << "  Type:       " << str_type( reader.get_type() )           << std::endl
-            << "  Machine:    " << str_machine( reader.get_machine() )     << std::endl
-            << "  Version:    " << str_version( reader.get_version() )     << std::endl
-            << "  Entry:      " << "0x" << std::hex << reader.get_entry()  << std::endl
-            << "  Flags:      " << "0x" << std::hex << reader.get_flags()  << std::endl
-            << std::endl;
-    }
+     {
+	if (!reader.get_header_size()) 
+	 {
+	    return;
+	 }
+	out << "ELF Header"   << std::endl                               << std::endl
+	  << "  Class:      " << str_class( reader.get_class() )         << std::endl
+	  << "  Encoding:   " << str_endian( reader.get_encoding() )     << std::endl
+	  << "  ELFVersion: " << str_version( reader.get_elf_version() ) << std::endl
+	  << "  Type:       " << str_type( reader.get_type() )           << std::endl
+	  << "  Machine:    " << str_machine( reader.get_machine() )     << std::endl
+	  << "  Version:    " << str_version( reader.get_version() )     << std::endl
+	  << "  Entry:      " << "0x" << std::hex << reader.get_entry()  << std::endl
+	  << "  Flags:      " << "0x" << std::hex << reader.get_flags()  << std::endl
+	  << std::endl;
+     }
 
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     static void
diff --git a/elfio/elfio_header.hpp b/elfio/elfio_header.hpp
index ae59f60..e8713cd 100644
--- a/elfio/elfio_header.hpp
+++ b/elfio/elfio_header.hpp
@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@ class elf_header
     ELFIO_GET_ACCESS_DECL( Elf_Half,      section_entry_size );
     ELFIO_GET_ACCESS_DECL( Elf_Half,      segment_entry_size );
 
-	ELFIO_GET_SET_ACCESS_DECL( Elf_Word,      version         );
-	ELFIO_GET_SET_ACCESS_DECL( unsigned char, os_abi          );
+    ELFIO_GET_SET_ACCESS_DECL( Elf_Word,      version         );
+    ELFIO_GET_SET_ACCESS_DECL( unsigned char, os_abi          );
     ELFIO_GET_SET_ACCESS_DECL( unsigned char, abi_version     );
     ELFIO_GET_SET_ACCESS_DECL( Elf_Half,      type            );
     ELFIO_GET_SET_ACCESS_DECL( Elf_Half,      machine         );
@@ -123,8 +123,8 @@ template< class T > class elf_header_impl : public elf_header
     ELFIO_GET_ACCESS( Elf_Half,      section_entry_size, header.e_shentsize );
     ELFIO_GET_ACCESS( Elf_Half,      segment_entry_size, header.e_phentsize );
 
-	ELFIO_GET_SET_ACCESS( Elf_Word,      version,         header.e_version);
-	ELFIO_GET_SET_ACCESS( unsigned char, os_abi,          header.e_ident[EI_OSABI] );
+    ELFIO_GET_SET_ACCESS( Elf_Word,      version,         header.e_version);
+    ELFIO_GET_SET_ACCESS( unsigned char, os_abi,          header.e_ident[EI_OSABI] );
     ELFIO_GET_SET_ACCESS( unsigned char, abi_version,     header.e_ident[EI_ABIVERSION] );
     ELFIO_GET_SET_ACCESS( Elf_Half,      type,            header.e_type );
     ELFIO_GET_SET_ACCESS( Elf_Half,      machine,         header.e_machine );