diff --git a/components/home/HomeItem.bs b/components/home/HomeItem.bs
index 882f6b5f5..04ea2ec81 100644
--- a/components/home/HomeItem.bs
+++ b/components/home/HomeItem.bs
@@ -21,9 +21,17 @@ sub init()
     m.showProgressBarField = m.top.findNode("showProgressBarField")
 
     ' Randomize the background colors
+    backdropColor = "#00a4db" ' set default in case global var is invalid
+    localGlobal = m.global
+
+    if isValid(localGlobal) and isValid(localGlobal.constants) and isValid(localGlobal.constants.poster_bg_pallet)
+        posterBackgrounds = localGlobal.constants.poster_bg_pallet
+        backdropColor = posterBackgrounds[rnd(posterBackgrounds.count()) - 1]
+    end if
+
+    ' update the backdrop node
     m.backdrop = m.top.findNode("backdrop")
-    posterBackgrounds = m.global.constants.poster_bg_pallet
-    m.backdrop.color = posterBackgrounds[rnd(posterBackgrounds.count()) - 1]
+    m.backdrop.color = backdropColor
 end sub