diff --git a/src/go/pt-galera-log-explainer/regex/applicative.go b/src/go/pt-galera-log-explainer/regex/applicative.go
index 8f476c6f..862ba930 100644
--- a/src/go/pt-galera-log-explainer/regex/applicative.go
+++ b/src/go/pt-galera-log-explainer/regex/applicative.go
@@ -165,6 +165,9 @@ var ApplicativeMap = types.RegexMap{
 			errormd5 := submatches[groupErrorMD5]
 			seqno := submatches[groupSeqno]
 			c := ctx.Conflicts.ConflictWithSeqno(seqno)
+			if c == nil { // the actual vote could have been lost
+				return ctx, nil
+			}
 			vote := types.ConflictVote{MD5: errormd5}
 			c.VotePerNode[ctx.OwnNames[len(ctx.OwnNames)-1]] = vote