diff --git a/builtin/fsck.c b/builtin/fsck.c
index 57f529b41b..3d5ced2d3a 100644
--- a/builtin/fsck.c
+++ b/builtin/fsck.c
@@ -56,6 +56,17 @@ static const char *describe_object(struct object *obj)
 	return buf.buf;
 }
 
+static const char *printable_type(struct object *obj)
+{
+	const char *ret;
+
+	ret = typename(obj->type);
+	if (!ret)
+		ret = "unknown";
+
+	return ret;
+}
+
 static int fsck_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
 {
 	if (strcmp(var, "fsck.skiplist") == 0) {
@@ -83,7 +94,7 @@ static void objreport(struct object *obj, const char *msg_type,
 			const char *err)
 {
 	fprintf(stderr, "%s in %s %s: %s\n",
-		msg_type, typename(obj->type), describe_object(obj), err);
+		msg_type, printable_type(obj), describe_object(obj), err);
 }
 
 static int objerror(struct object *obj, const char *err)
@@ -114,7 +125,7 @@ static int mark_object(struct object *obj, int type, void *data, struct fsck_opt
 	if (!obj) {
 		/* ... these references to parent->fld are safe here */
 		printf("broken link from %7s %s\n",
-			   typename(parent->type), describe_object(parent));
+			   printable_type(parent), describe_object(parent));
 		printf("broken link from %7s %s\n",
 			   (type == OBJ_ANY ? "unknown" : typename(type)), "unknown");
 		errors_found |= ERROR_REACHABLE;
@@ -131,9 +142,9 @@ static int mark_object(struct object *obj, int type, void *data, struct fsck_opt
 	if (!(obj->flags & HAS_OBJ)) {
 		if (parent && !has_object_file(&obj->oid)) {
 			printf("broken link from %7s %s\n",
-				 typename(parent->type), describe_object(parent));
+				 printable_type(parent), describe_object(parent));
 			printf("              to %7s %s\n",
-				 typename(obj->type), describe_object(obj));
+				 printable_type(obj), describe_object(obj));
 			errors_found |= ERROR_REACHABLE;
 		}
 		return 1;
@@ -205,7 +216,7 @@ static void check_reachable_object(struct object *obj)
 	if (!(obj->flags & HAS_OBJ)) {
 		if (has_sha1_pack(obj->oid.hash))
 			return; /* it is in pack - forget about it */
-		printf("missing %s %s\n", typename(obj->type),
+		printf("missing %s %s\n", printable_type(obj),
 			describe_object(obj));
 		errors_found |= ERROR_REACHABLE;
 		return;
@@ -231,7 +242,7 @@ static void check_unreachable_object(struct object *obj)
 	 * since this is something that is prunable.
 	 */
 	if (show_unreachable) {
-		printf("unreachable %s %s\n", typename(obj->type),
+		printf("unreachable %s %s\n", printable_type(obj),
 			describe_object(obj));
 		return;
 	}
@@ -250,7 +261,7 @@ static void check_unreachable_object(struct object *obj)
 	 */
 	if (!obj->used) {
 		if (show_dangling)
-			printf("dangling %s %s\n", typename(obj->type),
+			printf("dangling %s %s\n", printable_type(obj),
 			       describe_object(obj));
 		if (write_lost_and_found) {
 			char *filename = git_pathdup("lost-found/%s/%s",
@@ -324,7 +335,7 @@ static int fsck_obj(struct object *obj)
 
 	if (verbose)
 		fprintf(stderr, "Checking %s %s\n",
-			typename(obj->type), describe_object(obj));
+			printable_type(obj), describe_object(obj));
 
 	if (fsck_walk(obj, NULL, &fsck_obj_options))
 		objerror(obj, "broken links");
@@ -350,7 +361,7 @@ static int fsck_obj(struct object *obj)
 		struct tag *tag = (struct tag *) obj;
 
 		if (show_tags && tag->tagged) {
-			printf("tagged %s %s", typename(tag->tagged->type),
+			printf("tagged %s %s", printable_type(tag->tagged),
 				describe_object(tag->tagged));
 			printf(" (%s) in %s\n", tag->tag,
 				describe_object(&tag->object));