diff --git a/src/coverPhoto.js b/src/coverPhoto.js
index 4c7afb21eb..c1ceb31133 100644
--- a/src/coverPhoto.js
+++ b/src/coverPhoto.js
@@ -15,19 +15,24 @@ coverPhoto.getDefaultProfileCover = function (uid) {
 };
 
 function getCover(type, id) {
+	const defaultCover = nconf.get('relative_path') + '/assets/images/cover-default.png';
 	if (meta.config[type + ':defaultCovers']) {
-		var covers = meta.config[type + ':defaultCovers'].trim().split(/[\s,]+/g);
+		var covers = String(meta.config[type + ':defaultCovers']).trim().split(/[\s,]+/g);
+		let coverPhoto = defaultCover;
+		if (!covers.length) {
+			return coverPhoto;
+		}
 
 		if (typeof id === 'string') {
 			id = (id.charCodeAt(0) + id.charCodeAt(1)) % covers.length;
 		} else {
 			id %= covers.length;
 		}
-		if (!covers[id].startsWith('http')) {
-			covers = nconf.get('relative_path') + covers[id];
+		if (covers[id] && !covers[id].startsWith('http')) {
+			coverPhoto = nconf.get('relative_path') + covers[id];
 		}
-		return covers;
+		return coverPhoto;
 	}
 
-	return nconf.get('relative_path') + '/assets/images/cover-default.png';
+	return defaultCover;
 }