diff --git a/dune/common/test/fvectortest.cc b/dune/common/test/fvectortest.cc
index b0fe17ca134c7976056e2c81ecf4a3b0d8931769..1a8f34908185fd72bc1546a49d418d40a739149e 100644
--- a/dune/common/test/fvectortest.cc
+++ b/dune/common/test/fvectortest.cc
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@ struct FieldVectorMainTest
     FieldVector<ft,d> w(2);
     FieldVector<ft,d> z(2);
     const FieldVector<ft,d> x(z);
-    a = x[0];
+    if (x.size()>0)
+      a = x[0];
     bool b DUNE_UNUSED;
     rt n DUNE_UNUSED;