diff --git a/pd/src/g_template.c b/pd/src/g_template.c
index e7e6157a9b5c35b1ad60568a041ada87035ba832..4299578194852319b4580ce63fcef47269bc9400 100644
--- a/pd/src/g_template.c
+++ b/pd/src/g_template.c
@@ -3513,9 +3513,9 @@ static void svg_togui(t_svg *x, t_template *template, t_word *data)
         x->x_type == gensym("polygon"))
     {
         int i, n = x->x_nargs;
-        gui_s("points");
         if (x->x_nargs)
         {
+            gui_s("points");
             gui_start_array();
             for (i = 0; i < x->x_nargs; i++)
                 gui_f(fielddesc_getcoord(&x->x_vec[i], template, data, 1));