diff --git a/examples/lib/custom/main.c b/examples/lib/custom/main.c
index b11b6e01d7e6..a689e454948f 100644
--- a/examples/lib/custom/main.c
+++ b/examples/lib/custom/main.c
@@ -253,7 +253,11 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
      * ThreadVars will be ready. */
     SuricataInit();
 
-    SCDetectEngineRegisterRateFilterCallback(RateFilterCallback, NULL);
+    if (DetectEngineEnabled()) {
+        SCDetectEngineRegisterRateFilterCallback(RateFilterCallback, NULL);
+    } else {
+        SCLogWarning("detection engine not enabled, rate filter callback not registered");
+    }
 
     /* Spawn our worker threads. */
     pthread_t worker;
diff --git a/examples/lib/live/main.c b/examples/lib/live/main.c
index 572a7dde241a..74ce13510503 100644
--- a/examples/lib/live/main.c
+++ b/examples/lib/live/main.c
@@ -306,7 +306,11 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
      * ThreadVars will be ready. */
     SuricataInit();
 
-    SCDetectEngineRegisterRateFilterCallback(RateFilterCallback, NULL);
+    if (DetectEngineEnabled()) {
+        SCDetectEngineRegisterRateFilterCallback(RateFilterCallback, NULL);
+    } else {
+        SCLogWarning("detection engine not enabled, rate filter callback not registered");
+    }
 
     /* Spawn our worker threads, one for each interface. */
     pthread_t workers[MAX_INTERFACES];
diff --git a/src/detect-engine.c b/src/detect-engine.c
index c526154027b2..cfd2c6716376 100644
--- a/src/detect-engine.c
+++ b/src/detect-engine.c
@@ -5206,6 +5206,10 @@ void DetectLowerSetupCallback(
 void SCDetectEngineRegisterRateFilterCallback(SCDetectRateFilterFunc fn, void *arg)
 {
     DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx = DetectEngineGetCurrent();
+    if (de_ctx == NULL) {
+        SCLogError("no detection engine available for rate filter callback registration");
+        return;
+    }
     de_ctx->RateFilterCallback = fn;
     de_ctx->rate_filter_callback_arg = arg;
     DetectEngineDeReference(&de_ctx);