diff --git a/lisp/ChangeLog b/lisp/ChangeLog
index 0d97b7b6ea5..dc0c05462c8 100644
--- a/lisp/ChangeLog
+++ b/lisp/ChangeLog
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 	* vc-bzr.el: New file (copied from the trunk).
 
 	* vc-hooks.el (vc-handled-backends): Add BZR.
+	(vc-find-file-hook): Failsafe if the backend's `registered' function burps.
 
 	* server.el (server-window): Add switch-to-buffer-other-frame option.
 
diff --git a/lisp/vc-hooks.el b/lisp/vc-hooks.el
index 3afc3468e02..00c7f09f345 100644
--- a/lisp/vc-hooks.el
+++ b/lisp/vc-hooks.el
@@ -787,7 +787,7 @@ current, and kill the buffer that visits the link."
   (when buffer-file-name
     (vc-file-clearprops buffer-file-name)
     (cond
-     ((vc-backend buffer-file-name)
+     ((ignore-errors (vc-backend buffer-file-name))
       ;; Compute the state and put it in the modeline.
       (vc-mode-line buffer-file-name)
       (unless vc-make-backup-files