diff --git a/src/switch_ivr_originate.c b/src/switch_ivr_originate.c
index 8ed77d188d..70d739e9a7 100644
--- a/src/switch_ivr_originate.c
+++ b/src/switch_ivr_originate.c
@@ -268,9 +268,11 @@ SWITCH_DECLARE(switch_status_t) switch_ivr_wait_for_answer(switch_core_session_t
 	switch_frame_t *read_frame = NULL;
 	switch_status_t status = SWITCH_STATUS_SUCCESS;
 	int timelimit = 60;
-	const char *var = switch_channel_get_variable(caller_channel, "call_timeout");
+	const char *var;
 	switch_time_t start = 0;
 
+	switch_assert(peer_channel);
+	
 	if (session) {
 		caller_channel = switch_core_session_get_channel(session);
 	}
@@ -282,7 +284,7 @@ SWITCH_DECLARE(switch_status_t) switch_ivr_wait_for_answer(switch_core_session_t
 	switch_zmalloc(write_frame.data, SWITCH_RECOMMENDED_BUFFER_SIZE);
 	write_frame.buflen = SWITCH_RECOMMENDED_BUFFER_SIZE;
 
-	if (var) {
+	if (caller_channel && (var = switch_channel_get_variable(caller_channel, "call_timeout"))) {
 		timelimit = atoi(var);
 		if (timelimit < 0) {
 			timelimit = 60;