diff --git a/MaterialLib/MPL/Property.cpp b/MaterialLib/MPL/Property.cpp
index c2d8fcf4291bcbe87af09c6074da9f3b6a3f69c7..b7249e897816703363d2449bcdf516d06f7286ed 100644
--- a/MaterialLib/MPL/Property.cpp
+++ b/MaterialLib/MPL/Property.cpp
@@ -140,8 +140,15 @@ PropertyDataType Property::d2Value(VariableArray const& /*variable_array*/,
 std::string Property::description() const
 {
     return "property '" + name_ + "' defined for " +
-           std::visit([](auto&& scale) -> std::string
-                      { return scale->description(); },
-                      scale_);
+           std::visit(
+               [](auto&& scale) -> std::string
+               {
+                   if (scale == nullptr)
+                   {
+                       return "unknown scale";
+                   }
+                   return scale->description();
+               },
+               scale_);
 }
 }  // namespace MaterialPropertyLib
diff --git a/Tests/Data/RichardsMechanics/RichardsFlow_2d_richardsflow.prj b/Tests/Data/RichardsMechanics/RichardsFlow_2d_richardsflow.prj
index 48892f6632b10d5613df37fe4e25923af38cc6e5..144387f8b709c5594a19c29bac3ace6b09630897 100644
--- a/Tests/Data/RichardsMechanics/RichardsFlow_2d_richardsflow.prj
+++ b/Tests/Data/RichardsMechanics/RichardsFlow_2d_richardsflow.prj
@@ -63,11 +63,6 @@
                     <type>Constant</type>
                     <value>4.46e-13</value>
                 </property>
-                <property>
-                    <name>reference_temperature</name>
-                    <type>Constant</type>
-                    <value>293.15</value>
-                </property>
                 <property>
                     <name>saturation</name>
                     <type>SaturationVanGenuchten</type>