diff --git a/common.inc.php b/common.inc.php
index 7bbb1f3..d10bd16 100644
--- a/common.inc.php
+++ b/common.inc.php
@@ -415,13 +415,18 @@ echo "<h1>".i18n($config['fairname'])."</h1>";
 	//then we will show the registration confirmation page as a link in the menu,
 	$registrationconfirmationlink="";
 
-	$q=mysql_query("SELECT (NOW()>'".$config['dates']['postparticipants']."') AS test");
-	$r=mysql_fetch_object($q);
-	if($r->test==1)
+	//only display it if a date is set to begin with.
+	if($config['dates']['postparticipants'] && $config['dates']['postparticipants']!="0000-00-00 00:00:00")
 	{
-		$registrationconfirmationlink="<li><a href=\"".$config['SFIABDIRECTORY']."/confirmed_participants.php\">".i18n("Confirmed Participants")."</a></li>";
+		$q=mysql_query("SELECT (NOW()>'".$config['dates']['postparticipants']."') AS test");
+		$r=mysql_fetch_object($q);
+		if($r->test==1)
+		{
+			$registrationconfirmationlink="<li><a href=\"".$config['SFIABDIRECTORY']."/confirmed_participants.php\">".i18n("Confirmed Participants")."</a></li>";
+		}
 	}
 ?>
+
 <div id="left">
 <ul class="mainnav">
 <li><a href="<?=$config['SFIABDIRECTORY']?>/index.php"><?=i18n("Home Page")?></a></li><li><a href="<?=$config['SFIABDIRECTORY']?>/important_dates.php"><?=i18n("Important Dates")?></a></li><li><a href="<?=$config['SFIABDIRECTORY']?>/register_participants.php"><?=i18n("Participant Registration")?></a></li><?=$registrationconfirmationlink?><li><a href="<?=$config['SFIABDIRECTORY']?>/register_judges.php"><?=i18n("Judges Registration")?></a></li><li><a href="<?=$config['SFIABDIRECTORY']?>/committees.php"><?=i18n("Committee")?></a></li><li><a href="<?=$config['SFIABDIRECTORY']?>/winners.php"><?=i18n("Winners")?></a></li></ul>