diff --git a/src/quick/items/qquickcanvas.cpp b/src/quick/items/qquickcanvas.cpp
index 8e536a45dd..6c964826fe 100644
--- a/src/quick/items/qquickcanvas.cpp
+++ b/src/quick/items/qquickcanvas.cpp
@@ -539,7 +539,7 @@ void QQuickCanvasPrivate::setFocusInScope(QQuickItem *scope, QQuickItem *item, F
             q->sendEvent(oldActiveFocusItem, &event);
 
             QQuickItem *afi = oldActiveFocusItem;
-            while (afi != scope) {
+            while (afi && afi != scope) {
                 if (QQuickItemPrivate::get(afi)->activeFocus) {
                     QQuickItemPrivate::get(afi)->activeFocus = false;
                     changed << afi;
@@ -635,7 +635,7 @@ void QQuickCanvasPrivate::clearFocusInScope(QQuickItem *scope, QQuickItem *item,
         q->sendEvent(oldActiveFocusItem, &event);
 
         QQuickItem *afi = oldActiveFocusItem;
-        while (afi != scope) {
+        while (afi && afi != scope) {
             if (QQuickItemPrivate::get(afi)->activeFocus) {
                 QQuickItemPrivate::get(afi)->activeFocus = false;
                 changed << afi;
diff --git a/src/quick/items/qquickitem.cpp b/src/quick/items/qquickitem.cpp
index 0ebacf7ff8..9f82c7e37c 100644
--- a/src/quick/items/qquickitem.cpp
+++ b/src/quick/items/qquickitem.cpp
@@ -1632,7 +1632,7 @@ void QQuickItemPrivate::updateSubFocusItem(QQuickItem *scope, bool focus)
     // Correct focus chain in scope
     if (oldSubFocusItem) {
         QQuickItem *sfi = scopePrivate->subFocusItem->parentItem();
-        while (sfi != scope) {
+        while (sfi && sfi != scope) {
             QQuickItemPrivate::get(sfi)->subFocusItem = 0;
             sfi = sfi->parentItem();
         }
@@ -1641,7 +1641,7 @@ void QQuickItemPrivate::updateSubFocusItem(QQuickItem *scope, bool focus)
     if (focus) {
         scopePrivate->subFocusItem = q;
         QQuickItem *sfi = scopePrivate->subFocusItem->parentItem();
-        while (sfi != scope) {
+        while (sfi && sfi != scope) {
             QQuickItemPrivate::get(sfi)->subFocusItem = q;
             sfi = sfi->parentItem();
         }