diff --git a/register_participants.inc.php b/register_participants.inc.php
index 6120728..09ec7de 100644
--- a/register_participants.inc.php
+++ b/register_participants.inc.php
@@ -523,6 +523,9 @@ function getProject($userId){
 		return "register_participants.inc.php::getProject -> User not found";
 	}
 	$regId = $result['registrations_id'];
+	if(!$regId) {
+		return "register_participants.inc.php::getProject -> no registration id";
+	}
 	// FIXME - in the future, this should be able to handle a many-to-many
 	// relationship in projects to registrations (so remove that LIMIT 1)
 	$fields = implode(',', array(
@@ -544,8 +547,11 @@ function getProject($userId){
 			AND projects.conferences_id='".$conference['id']."' 
 		LIMIT 1");
 	if(mysql_error()) {
-		return "register_participants.inc.php::getProject -> " . $mysql_error();
-	}else{
+		return "register_participants.inc.php::getProject -> sql error: " . $mysql_error();
+	} else if(mysql_num_rows($q)!=1) {
+		return "register_participants.inc.php::getProject -> no project";
+	}
+	else {
 		$returnval = mysql_fetch_assoc($q);
 	}