diff --git a/src/columns/ColProject.cpp b/src/columns/ColProject.cpp
index f414ea3a0..bef8ec723 100644
--- a/src/columns/ColProject.cpp
+++ b/src/columns/ColProject.cpp
@@ -121,7 +121,9 @@ void ColumnProject::modify (Task& task, const std::string& value)
     {
       Eval e;
       e.addSource (domSource);
-      contextTask = &task;
+      if (!task.is_empty ()) {
+        contextTask = &task;
+      }
 
       Variant v;
       e.evaluateInfixExpression (value, v);
diff --git a/src/columns/ColRecur.cpp b/src/columns/ColRecur.cpp
index 22623cdce..8168770ed 100644
--- a/src/columns/ColRecur.cpp
+++ b/src/columns/ColRecur.cpp
@@ -108,7 +108,9 @@ void ColumnRecur::modify (Task& task, const std::string& value)
   {
     Eval e;
     e.addSource (domSource);
-    contextTask = &task;
+    if (!task.is_empty ()) {
+      contextTask = &task;
+    }
     e.evaluateInfixExpression (value, evaluatedValue);
   }
 
diff --git a/src/columns/ColTags.cpp b/src/columns/ColTags.cpp
index 16fea0e86..4680f4fed 100644
--- a/src/columns/ColTags.cpp
+++ b/src/columns/ColTags.cpp
@@ -162,7 +162,9 @@ void ColumnTags::modify (Task& task, const std::string& value)
   {
     Eval e;
     e.addSource (domSource);
-    contextTask = &task;
+    if (!task.is_empty ()) {
+      contextTask = &task;
+    }
 
     Variant v;
     e.evaluateInfixExpression (value, v);
diff --git a/src/columns/ColTypeDate.cpp b/src/columns/ColTypeDate.cpp
index af8ea1e25..fc63f4c66 100644
--- a/src/columns/ColTypeDate.cpp
+++ b/src/columns/ColTypeDate.cpp
@@ -213,7 +213,9 @@ void ColumnTypeDate::modify (Task& task, const std::string& value)
   {
     Eval e;
     e.addSource (domSource);
-    contextTask = &task;
+    if (!task.is_empty ()) {
+      contextTask = &task;
+    }
     e.evaluateInfixExpression (value, evaluatedValue);
   }
 
diff --git a/src/columns/ColTypeDuration.cpp b/src/columns/ColTypeDuration.cpp
index 126d7adc9..f305686e5 100644
--- a/src/columns/ColTypeDuration.cpp
+++ b/src/columns/ColTypeDuration.cpp
@@ -55,7 +55,9 @@ void ColumnTypeDuration::modify (Task& task, const std::string& value)
   {
     Eval e;
     e.addSource (domSource);
-    contextTask = &task;
+    if (!task.is_empty ()) {
+      contextTask = &task;
+    }
     e.evaluateInfixExpression (value, evaluatedValue);
   }
 
diff --git a/src/columns/ColTypeNumeric.cpp b/src/columns/ColTypeNumeric.cpp
index 986470b4c..ea04891e7 100644
--- a/src/columns/ColTypeNumeric.cpp
+++ b/src/columns/ColTypeNumeric.cpp
@@ -55,7 +55,9 @@ void ColumnTypeNumeric::modify (Task& task, const std::string& value)
   {
     Eval e;
     e.addSource (domSource);
-    contextTask = &task;
+    if (!task.is_empty ()) {
+      contextTask = &task;
+    }
     e.evaluateInfixExpression (value, evaluatedValue);
   }
 
diff --git a/src/columns/ColTypeString.cpp b/src/columns/ColTypeString.cpp
index 89552ce14..8f46abb1f 100644
--- a/src/columns/ColTypeString.cpp
+++ b/src/columns/ColTypeString.cpp
@@ -67,7 +67,9 @@ void ColumnTypeString::modify (Task& task, const std::string& value)
   {
     Eval e;
     e.addSource (domSource);
-    contextTask = &task;
+    if (!task.is_empty ()) {
+      contextTask = &task;
+    }
 
     Variant v;
     e.evaluateInfixExpression (value, v);