diff --git a/lib/typesafe.h b/lib/typesafe.h
index 66612be167..8eb59c33b7 100644
--- a/lib/typesafe.h
+++ b/lib/typesafe.h
@@ -948,6 +948,8 @@ macro_pure size_t prefix ## _count(const struct prefix##_head *h)              \
 macro_pure bool prefix ## _member(const struct prefix##_head *h,               \
 				  const type *item)                            \
 {                                                                              \
+	if (!h->hh.tabshift)                                                   \
+		return NULL;                                                   \
 	uint32_t hval = item->field.hi.hashval, hbits = HASH_KEY(h->hh, hval); \
 	const struct thash_item *hitem = h->hh.entries[hbits];                 \
 	while (hitem && hitem->hashval < hval)                                 \
diff --git a/tests/lib/test_typelist.h b/tests/lib/test_typelist.h
index 91528139b5..80c4005437 100644
--- a/tests/lib/test_typelist.h
+++ b/tests/lib/test_typelist.h
@@ -171,6 +171,11 @@ static void concat(test_, TYPE)(void)
 
 	ts_hash("init", "df3f619804a92fdb4057192dc43dd748ea778adc52bc498ce80524c014b81119");
 
+#if !IS_ATOMIC(REALTYPE)
+	assert(!list_member(&head, &itm[0]));
+	assert(!list_member(&head, &itm[1]));
+#endif
+
 #if IS_SORTED(REALTYPE)
 	prng = prng_new(0);
 	k = 0;