diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 60cec0c..bfb4474 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2013-08-07  Andreas J. Guelzow <aguelzow@pyrshep.ca>
+
+	* src/sheet-object-widget.c (sheet_widget_draw_cairo): avoid using
+	gtk_offscreen_window_new without a default screen (see bugs #705638
+	and #705640)
+
 2013-08-07  Morten Welinder  <terra@gnome.org>
 
 	* src/ssconvert.c (main): Initialize gtk+ without opening any
diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 42bf9cc..e64dddb 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ Andreas:
 	* Show input messages. [#705310]
 	* Fix Excel XML import. [#705223]
 	* Fix documentation. [#705541]
+	* Avoid crashing when printing sheet object widgets from ssconvert. [#705638]
 
 Jean:
 	* Fix text wrap inside sheet objects. [#704417]
diff --git a/src/sheet-object-widget.c b/src/sheet-object-widget.c
index 5763909..164265f 100644
--- a/src/sheet-object-widget.c
+++ b/src/sheet-object-widget.c
@@ -225,14 +225,18 @@ static void
 sheet_widget_draw_cairo (SheetObject const *so, cairo_t *cr,
 			 double width, double height)
 {
-	GtkWidget *win = gtk_offscreen_window_new ();
-	GtkWidget *w = SOW_CLASS(so)->create_widget (GNM_SOW (so));
-
-	gtk_container_add (GTK_CONTAINER (win), w);
-	gtk_widget_set_size_request (w, width, height);
-	gtk_widget_show_all (win);
-	gtk_container_propagate_draw (GTK_CONTAINER (win), w, cr);
-	gtk_widget_destroy (win);
+	/* See bugs #705638 and #705640 */
+	if (NULL != gdk_screen_get_default ()) {
+		GtkWidget *win = gtk_offscreen_window_new ();
+		GtkWidget *w = SOW_CLASS(so)->create_widget (GNM_SOW (so));
+		
+		gtk_container_add (GTK_CONTAINER (win), w);
+		gtk_widget_set_size_request (w, width, height);
+		gtk_widget_show_all (win);
+		gtk_container_propagate_draw (GTK_CONTAINER (win), w, cr);
+		gtk_widget_destroy (win);
+	} else
+		g_warning (_("Because of GTK bug #705640, a sheet object widget is not being printed."));
 }
 
 static void
