diff --git a/code/game/ai_dmq3.c b/code/game/ai_dmq3.c
index 7b9d10fe..040dff50 100644
--- a/code/game/ai_dmq3.c
+++ b/code/game/ai_dmq3.c
@@ -4176,7 +4176,7 @@ int BotGetActivateGoal(bot_state_t *bs, int entitynum, bot_activategoal_t *activ
 		return 0;
 	}
 	trap_AAS_ValueForBSPEpairKey(ent, "classname", classname, sizeof(classname));
-	if (!classname) {
+	if (!*classname) {
 		BotAI_Print(PRT_ERROR, "BotGetActivateGoal: entity with model %s has no classname\n", model);
 		return 0;
 	}