diff --git a/src/buffer.c b/src/buffer.c
index 7ba0c8bc2a6..5951040ff2c 100644
--- a/src/buffer.c
+++ b/src/buffer.c
@@ -1798,6 +1798,8 @@ cleaning up all windows currently displaying the buffer to be killed. */)
 
     /* Delete the autosave file, if requested. */
     if (modified
+	&& STRINGP (BVAR (b, auto_save_file_name))
+	&& !NILP (Ffile_exists_p (BVAR (b, auto_save_file_name)))
 	&& kill_buffer_delete_auto_save_files
 	&& delete_auto_save_files
 	&& !NILP (Frecent_auto_save_p ()))