diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 3dba7bd20f..c3b7b7793b 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2005-03-20  Bill Skaggs  <weskaggs@primate.ucdavis.edu>
+
+	* app/core/gimpimage-convert.c: check for non-empty palette
+	before converting to indexed using custom palette, otherwise
+	show warning and abort;	fixes bug #170973.
+
 2005-03-20  Bill Skaggs  <weskaggs@primate.ucdavis.edu>
 
 	* app/core/gimpimage-convert.c: applied patch from Adam
diff --git a/app/core/gimpimage-convert.c b/app/core/gimpimage-convert.c
index 8d166c57a2..426833bec2 100644
--- a/app/core/gimpimage-convert.c
+++ b/app/core/gimpimage-convert.c
@@ -798,6 +798,13 @@ gimp_image_convert (GimpImage              *gimage,
   g_return_if_fail (new_type != gimp_image_base_type (gimage));
   g_return_if_fail (progress == NULL || GIMP_IS_PROGRESS (progress));
 
+  if (palette_type == GIMP_CUSTOM_PALETTE)
+    if (! custom_palette || ! custom_palette->n_colors)
+    {
+      g_message (_("Cannot convert image, palette is empty"));
+      return;
+    }
+
   theCustomPalette = custom_palette;
 
   gimp_set_busy (gimage->gimp);