diff --git a/library/private/animationManager.h b/library/private/animationManager.h
index d5434caae8..32d1e29a76 100644
--- a/library/private/animationManager.h
+++ b/library/private/animationManager.h
@@ -51,6 +51,10 @@ class animationManager
   void DisableAllAnimation();
   int GetAnimationIndex();
 
+  /**
+   * Return the current animation name if any
+   * Can be called before initialization safely
+   */
   std::string GetAnimationName();
 
   /**
diff --git a/library/src/animationManager.cxx b/library/src/animationManager.cxx
index f610163f5a..44a71be3f6 100644
--- a/library/src/animationManager.cxx
+++ b/library/src/animationManager.cxx
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ namespace f3d::detail
 bool animationManager::Initialize(
   const options* options, window* window, interactor_impl* interactor, vtkImporter* importer)
 {
+  assert(importer);
   this->HasAnimation = false;
   this->Playing = false;
   this->CurrentTime = 0;
@@ -260,6 +261,7 @@ void animationManager::Tick()
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 bool animationManager::LoadAtTime(double timeValue)
 {
+  assert(this->Importer);
   if (!this->HasAnimation)
   {
     return false;
@@ -316,6 +318,11 @@ int animationManager::GetAnimationIndex()
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 std::string animationManager::GetAnimationName()
 {
+  if (!this->Importer)
+  {
+    return "";
+  }
+
   if (this->AnimationIndex == -1)
   {
     return "All Animations";
@@ -325,6 +332,7 @@ std::string animationManager::GetAnimationName()
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 void animationManager::EnableAllAnimation()
 {
+  assert(this->Importer);
   if (this->AnimationIndex == this->AvailAnimations - 1)
   {
     for (int i = 0; i < this->AvailAnimations; i++)
@@ -340,6 +348,7 @@ void animationManager::EnableAllAnimation()
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 void animationManager::DisableAllAnimation()
 {
+  assert(this->Importer);
   if (this->AnimationIndex == this->AvailAnimations - 1)
   {
     for (int i = 0; i < this->AvailAnimations; i++)
@@ -359,4 +368,4 @@ void animationManager::GetTimeRange(double timeRange[2])
   timeRange[0] = this->TimeRange[0];
   timeRange[1] = this->TimeRange[1];
 }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}