diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 5ac38cda8..edf23a415 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 2011-02-04  Wolfgang Sourdeau  <wsourdeau@inverse.ca>
 
+	* OpenChange/SOGoMAPIFSMessage.m (-properties): initialize
+	properties to an empty dictionary if the initialization from file
+	failed.
+
 	* OpenChange/MAPIStoreMailMessageTable.m (-childKeys)
 	(-restrictedChildKeys): now only return non-deleted elements.
 
diff --git a/OpenChange/SOGoMAPIFSMessage.m b/OpenChange/SOGoMAPIFSMessage.m
index 3fb7505b4..b52966a1c 100644
--- a/OpenChange/SOGoMAPIFSMessage.m
+++ b/OpenChange/SOGoMAPIFSMessage.m
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@
 		   stringByAppendingPathComponent: nameInContainer];
       properties = [[NSMutableDictionary alloc]
 		     initWithContentsOfFile: filePath];
+      if (!properties)
+        properties = [NSMutableDictionary new];
     }
 
   return properties;