diff --git a/changes/bug4531 b/changes/bug4531
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6209f9a058
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/bug4531
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+  o Major bugfixes:
+    - Fix null-pointer access that could occur if TLS allocation failed.
+      Fixes bug 4531; bugfix on 0.2.0.20-rc. Found by "troll_un".
+
diff --git a/src/or/connection_or.c b/src/or/connection_or.c
index 1fffba7733..dc8850ea3f 100644
--- a/src/or/connection_or.c
+++ b/src/or/connection_or.c
@@ -871,12 +871,12 @@ connection_tls_start_handshake(or_connection_t *conn, int receiving)
 {
   conn->_base.state = OR_CONN_STATE_TLS_HANDSHAKING;
   conn->tls = tor_tls_new(conn->_base.s, receiving);
-  tor_tls_set_logged_address(conn->tls, // XXX client and relay?
-      escaped_safe_str(conn->_base.address));
   if (!conn->tls) {
     log_warn(LD_BUG,"tor_tls_new failed. Closing.");
     return -1;
   }
+  tor_tls_set_logged_address(conn->tls, // XXX client and relay?
+      escaped_safe_str(conn->_base.address));
   connection_start_reading(TO_CONN(conn));
   log_debug(LD_HANDSHAKE,"starting TLS handshake on fd %d", conn->_base.s);
   note_crypto_pk_op(receiving ? TLS_HANDSHAKE_S : TLS_HANDSHAKE_C);