diff --git a/blocks/blog_recent/block_blog_recent.php b/blocks/blog_recent/block_blog_recent.php
index 20313b626a0..b3d564fde7f 100644
--- a/blocks/blog_recent/block_blog_recent.php
+++ b/blocks/blog_recent/block_blog_recent.php
@@ -69,6 +69,10 @@ class block_blog_recent extends block_base {
         require_once($CFG->dirroot .'/blog/lib.php');
         require_once($CFG->dirroot .'/blog/locallib.php');
 
+        if (empty($this->config)) {
+            $this->config = new stdClass();
+        }
+
         if (empty($this->config->recentbloginterval)) {
             $this->config->recentbloginterval = 8400;
         }
diff --git a/blocks/blog_tags/block_blog_tags.php b/blocks/blog_tags/block_blog_tags.php
index c3fa8d8f2d7..c84f9d2e02f 100644
--- a/blocks/blog_tags/block_blog_tags.php
+++ b/blocks/blog_tags/block_blog_tags.php
@@ -93,6 +93,10 @@ class block_blog_tags extends block_base {
         // require the libs and do the work
         require_once($CFG->dirroot .'/blog/lib.php');
 
+        if (empty($this->config)) {
+            $this->config = new stdClass();
+        }
+
         if (empty($this->config->timewithin)) {
             $this->config->timewithin = BLOCK_BLOG_TAGS_DEFAULTTIMEWITHIN;
         }