diff --git a/ext/readline/readline.c b/ext/readline/readline.c
index 3b72e9ee098..84b5bd3d660 100644
--- a/ext/readline/readline.c
+++ b/ext/readline/readline.c
@@ -402,12 +402,13 @@ PHP_FUNCTION(readline_read_history)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if (php_check_open_basedir(arg)) {
+	if (arg && php_check_open_basedir(arg)) {
 		RETURN_FALSE;
 	}
 
 	/* XXX from & to NYI */
 	if (read_history(arg)) {
+		/* If filename is NULL, then read from `~/.history' */
 		RETURN_FALSE;
 	} else {
 		RETURN_TRUE;
@@ -426,7 +427,7 @@ PHP_FUNCTION(readline_write_history)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if (php_check_open_basedir(arg)) {
+	if (arg && php_check_open_basedir(arg)) {
 		RETURN_FALSE;
 	}
 
diff --git a/ext/readline/tests/bug69054.phpt b/ext/readline/tests/bug69054.phpt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f17f803ea4e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ext/readline/tests/bug69054.phpt
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+--TEST--
+Bug #69054 (Null dereference in readline_(read|write)_history() without parameters)
+--SKIPIF--
+<?php if (!extension_loaded("readline") || !function_exists('readline_add_history')) die("skip"); ?>
+--INI--
+open_basedir=/tmp
+--FILE--
+<?php readline_read_history(); ?>
+==DONE==
+--EXPECT--
+==DONE==