diff --git a/repos/os/src/app/usb_report_filter/main.cc b/repos/os/src/app/usb_report_filter/main.cc
index 54ede7cf07..6a53b8b45a 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/app/usb_report_filter/main.cc
+++ b/repos/os/src/app/usb_report_filter/main.cc
@@ -299,6 +299,8 @@ class Usb_filter::Device_registry
 		{
 			using namespace Genode;
 
+			if (!_devices_rom.valid()) return;
+
 			/*
 			 * XXX it might happen that the device list has changed after we are
 			 *     waiting for the usb_drv_config update