diff --git a/includes/menu.inc b/includes/menu.inc
index ca37ba509dc..2b489d88645 100644
--- a/includes/menu.inc
+++ b/includes/menu.inc
@@ -2483,6 +2483,9 @@ function menu_link_get_preferred($path = NULL, $selected_menu = NULL) {
     // untranslated paths). Afterwards, the most relevant path is picked from
     // the menus, ordered by menu preference.
     $item = menu_get_item($path);
+    if ($item === FALSE) {
+      return FALSE;
+    }
     $path_candidates = array();
     // 1. The current item href.
     $path_candidates[$item['href']] = $item['href'];
diff --git a/modules/block/block.module b/modules/block/block.module
index d68ea9e7a9a..a482d261269 100644
--- a/modules/block/block.module
+++ b/modules/block/block.module
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ function block_page_build(&$page) {
   $all_regions = system_region_list($theme);
 
   $item = menu_get_item();
-  if ($item['path'] != 'admin/structure/block/demo/' . $theme) {
+  if ($item === FALSE || $item['path'] != 'admin/structure/block/demo/' . $theme) {
     // Load all region content assigned via blocks.
     foreach (array_keys($all_regions) as $region) {
       // Assign blocks to region.
@@ -283,7 +283,6 @@ function block_page_build(&$page) {
   }
   else {
     // Append region description if we are rendering the regions demo page.
-    $item = menu_get_item();
     if ($item['path'] == 'admin/structure/block/demo/' . $theme) {
       foreach (system_region_list($theme, REGIONS_VISIBLE, FALSE) as $region) {
         $description = '<div class="block-region">' . $all_regions[$region] . '</div>';