diff --git a/src/buildno.h b/src/buildno.h
index 3ce9dbfe7..191483238 100644
--- a/src/buildno.h
+++ b/src/buildno.h
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 #define VERSION_MAJOR 3
 #define VERSION_MINOR 8
-#define VERSION_BUILD 4
+#define VERSION_BUILD 5
diff --git a/src/kernel/faction.c b/src/kernel/faction.c
index f67dbe47a..edb8a9e2f 100755
--- a/src/kernel/faction.c
+++ b/src/kernel/faction.c
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ bool checkpasswd(const faction * f, const char *passwd)
 {
     if (!passwd) return false;
 
-    if (password_verify(f->_password, passwd) == VERIFY_FAIL) {
+    if (f->_password && password_verify(f->_password, passwd) == VERIFY_FAIL) {
         log_warning("password check failed: %s", factionname(f));
         return false;
     }
diff --git a/src/kernel/version.h b/src/kernel/version.h
index 3ff4e927a..f758bf0e9 100644
--- a/src/kernel/version.h
+++ b/src/kernel/version.h
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 #define EXPLICIT_CURSE_ISNEW_VERSION 347 /* CURSE_ISNEW is not reset in read/write, but in age() */
 #define SPELL_LEVEL_VERSION 348 /* f->max_spelllevel gets stored, not calculated */
 #define OWNER_3_VERSION 349 /* regions store last owner, not last alliance */
-#define ATTRIBOWNER_VERSION 350 /* all attrib_type functions know who owns the attribute */
+#define ATTRIBOWNER_VERSION 351 /* all attrib_type functions know who owns the attribute */
 #define BADCRYPT_VERSION 351 /* passwords are encrypted, poorly */
 #define CRYPT_VERSION 352 /* passwords are encrypted */
 #define RELEASE_VERSION ATTRIBOWNER_VERSION /* current datafile */