diff --git a/src/flow-hash.c b/src/flow-hash.c
index 5984ad9573..fb4892d802 100644
--- a/src/flow-hash.c
+++ b/src/flow-hash.c
@@ -658,7 +658,7 @@ static void FlowExceptionPolicyStatsIncr(
         ThreadVars *tv, FlowLookupStruct *fls, enum ExceptionPolicy policy)
 {
 #ifdef UNITTESTS
-    if (tv == NULL) {
+    if (tv == NULL || fls->dtv == NULL) {
         return;
     }
 #endif
diff --git a/src/util-unittest-helper.c b/src/util-unittest-helper.c
index c1fa775255..4d56b2d377 100644
--- a/src/util-unittest-helper.c
+++ b/src/util-unittest-helper.c
@@ -860,6 +860,8 @@ uint32_t UTHBuildPacketOfFlows(uint32_t start, uint32_t end, uint8_t dir)
 {
     FlowLookupStruct fls;
     memset(&fls, 0, sizeof(fls));
+    ThreadVars tv;
+    memset(&tv, 0, sizeof(tv));
 
     uint32_t i = start;
     uint8_t payload[] = "Payload";
@@ -872,7 +874,7 @@ uint32_t UTHBuildPacketOfFlows(uint32_t start, uint32_t end, uint8_t dir)
             p->src.addr_data32[0] = i + 1;
             p->dst.addr_data32[0] = i;
         }
-        FlowHandlePacket(NULL, &fls, p);
+        FlowHandlePacket(&tv, &fls, p);
         if (p->flow != NULL) {
             FLOWLOCK_UNLOCK(p->flow);
         }