diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index af5929a..cd7306c 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 	* Fixed memory leak (thanks to Brian J. Tarricone)
 	* Custom bar colors now also work with special Gtk theme engine where
 	  the previous code doesn't work (thanks to Brian J. Tarricone)
+	* Fixed bug that causes an invalid displayed string if no device name
+	  was set.
 	* Released 0.3.3.
 
 2005-08-01 Bernhard Walle
diff --git a/panel-plugin/netload.c b/panel-plugin/netload.c
index acd7536..f925e81 100644
--- a/panel-plugin/netload.c
+++ b/panel-plugin/netload.c
@@ -500,10 +500,14 @@ static void setup_monitor(t_global_monitor *global, gboolean supress_warnings)
     {
         gtk_widget_hide(GTK_WIDGET(global->monitor->status[i]));
         rc = gtk_widget_get_modifier_style(GTK_WIDGET(global->monitor->status[i]));
+        
         if (!rc) {
             rc = gtk_rc_style_new();
+        } else {
+            /* to free the style safely in any case */
+            gtk_rc_style_ref(rc);
         }
-        
+                
         if (rc) {
             rc->color_flags[GTK_STATE_PRELIGHT] |= GTK_RC_BG;
             rc->color_flags[GTK_STATE_SELECTED] |= GTK_RC_BASE;
@@ -533,27 +537,23 @@ static void setup_monitor(t_global_monitor *global, gboolean supress_warnings)
         gtk_widget_show(global->monitor->label);
     }
     
-    if (!strcmp(global->monitor->options.network_device, 
-            global->monitor->options.old_network_device) == 0)
+    if (!init_netload( &(global->monitor->data), global->monitor->options.network_device)
+            && !supress_warnings)
     {
-        if (!init_netload( &(global->monitor->data), global->monitor->options.network_device)
-                && !supress_warnings)
-        {
-            xfce_err (_("%s: Error in initalizing:\n%s"),
-                _(APP_NAME),
-                _(errormessages[
-                    global->monitor->data.errorcode == 0 
-                  ? INTERFACE_NOT_FOUND
-                  : global->monitor->data.errorcode ]));
-        }
-        
-        if (global->monitor->options.old_network_device)
-        {
-            g_free(global->monitor->options.old_network_device);
-        }
-        global->monitor->options.old_network_device = g_strdup(global->monitor->options.network_device);
+        xfce_err (_("%s: Error in initalizing:\n%s"),
+            _(APP_NAME),
+            _(errormessages[
+                global->monitor->data.errorcode == 0 
+              ? INTERFACE_NOT_FOUND
+              : global->monitor->data.errorcode ]));
     }
     
+    if (global->monitor->options.old_network_device)
+    {
+        g_free(global->monitor->options.old_network_device);
+    }
+    global->monitor->options.old_network_device = g_strdup(global->monitor->options.network_device);
+    
     run_update( global );
 
 }