diff --git a/modules/aaa/mod_authz_dbd.c b/modules/aaa/mod_authz_dbd.c
index 52aab38..2c468e0 100644
--- a/modules/aaa/mod_authz_dbd.c
+++ b/modules/aaa/mod_authz_dbd.c
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ static int authz_dbd_login(request_rec *r, authz_dbd_cfg *cfg,
     const char *newuri = NULL;
     int nrows;
     const char *message;
-    ap_dbd_t *dbd = dbd_handle(r);
+    ap_dbd_t *dbd = NULL;
     apr_dbd_prepared_t *query;
     apr_dbd_results_t *res = NULL;
     apr_dbd_row_t *row = NULL;
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ static int authz_dbd_login(request_rec *r, authz_dbd_cfg *cfg,
                       "No query configured for %s!", action);
         return HTTP_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR;
     }
+    dbd = dbd_handle(r);
     if (dbd == NULL) {
         ap_log_rerror(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_ERR, 0, r, APLOGNO(02902)
                       "No db handle available for %s! "
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ static int authz_dbd_group_query(request_rec *r, authz_dbd_cfg *cfg,
     /* SELECT group FROM authz WHERE user = %s */
     int rv;
     const char *message;
-    ap_dbd_t *dbd = dbd_handle(r);
+    ap_dbd_t *dbd = NULL;
     apr_dbd_prepared_t *query;
     apr_dbd_results_t *res = NULL;
     apr_dbd_row_t *row = NULL;
@@ -223,6 +223,7 @@ static int authz_dbd_group_query(request_rec *r, authz_dbd_cfg *cfg,
                       "No query configured for dbd-group!");
         return HTTP_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR;
     }
+    dbd = dbd_handle(r);
     if (dbd == NULL) {
         ap_log_rerror(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_ERR, 0, r, APLOGNO(02903)
                       "No db handle available for dbd-query! "