--- memorandum.old/init.lua
+++ memorandum/init.lua
@@ -52,6 +52,12 @@
 		--[[print((sender:get_player_name() or "").." wrote \""..fields.text..
 				"\" to paper at "..minetest.pos_to_string(pos))]]
 		local direction = minetest.env:get_node(pos).param2
+		if fields.text == nil then
+			fields.text = ""
+		end
+		if fields.signed == nil then
+			fields.signed = ""
+		end
 		if fields.text ~= "" then
 			minetest.env:add_node(pos, {name="memorandum:letter_written", param2=direction})
 		end
@@ -144,6 +150,12 @@
 			local meta = minetest.get_meta(pos)
 			fields.text = fields.text
 			fields.signed = fields.signed
+			if fields.text == nil then
+				fields.text = ""
+			end
+			if fields.signed == nil then
+				fields.signed = ""
+			end
 			--[[print((sender:get_player_name() or "").." wrote \""..fields.text..
 				"\" to paper at "..minetest.pos_to_string(pos))]]
 			local direction = minetest.env:get_node(pos).param2