diff --git a/dlls/msxml3/saxreader.c b/dlls/msxml3/saxreader.c
index fc27260cc2c..4d12ebbc5a6 100644
--- a/dlls/msxml3/saxreader.c
+++ b/dlls/msxml3/saxreader.c
@@ -2734,23 +2734,23 @@ static HRESULT internal_onDataAvailable(void *obj, char *ptr, DWORD len)
     return internal_parseBuffer(This, ptr, len, FALSE);
 }
 
-static HRESULT internal_parseURL(
-        saxreader* This,
-        const WCHAR *url,
-        BOOL vbInterface)
+static HRESULT internal_parseURL(saxreader *reader, const WCHAR *url, BOOL vbInterface)
 {
     IMoniker *mon;
     bsc_t *bsc;
     HRESULT hr;
 
-    TRACE("(%p)->(%s)\n", This, debugstr_w(url));
+    TRACE("%p, %s.\n", reader, debugstr_w(url));
+
+    if (!url && reader->version < MSXML4)
+        return E_INVALIDARG;
 
     hr = create_moniker_from_url(url, &mon);
     if(FAILED(hr))
         return hr;
 
-    if(vbInterface) hr = bind_url(mon, internal_vbonDataAvailable, This, &bsc);
-    else hr = bind_url(mon, internal_onDataAvailable, This, &bsc);
+    if(vbInterface) hr = bind_url(mon, internal_vbonDataAvailable, reader, &bsc);
+    else hr = bind_url(mon, internal_onDataAvailable, reader, &bsc);
     IMoniker_Release(mon);
 
     if(FAILED(hr))
diff --git a/dlls/msxml3/tests/saxreader.c b/dlls/msxml3/tests/saxreader.c
index ab814c5f764..0b5e3085ad5 100644
--- a/dlls/msxml3/tests/saxreader.c
+++ b/dlls/msxml3/tests/saxreader.c
@@ -2310,6 +2310,22 @@ static void test_saxreader(void)
         WriteFile(file, testXML, sizeof(testXML)-1, &written, NULL);
         CloseHandle(file);
 
+        /* crashes on newer versions */
+        if (IsEqualGUID(table->clsid, &CLSID_SAXXMLReader) ||
+            IsEqualGUID(table->clsid, &CLSID_SAXXMLReader30))
+        {
+            IVBSAXXMLReader *vb_reader;
+
+            hr = ISAXXMLReader_parseURL(reader, NULL);
+            ok(hr == E_INVALIDARG, "Unexpected hr %#x.\n", hr);
+
+            hr = ISAXXMLReader_QueryInterface(reader, &IID_IVBSAXXMLReader, (void **)&vb_reader);
+            ok(hr == S_OK, "Unexpected hr %#x.\n", hr);
+            hr = IVBSAXXMLReader_parseURL(vb_reader, NULL);
+            ok(hr == E_INVALIDARG, "Unexpected hr %#x.\n", hr);
+            IVBSAXXMLReader_Release(vb_reader);
+        }
+
         if (IsEqualGUID(table->clsid, &CLSID_SAXXMLReader40) ||
             IsEqualGUID(table->clsid, &CLSID_SAXXMLReader60))
             test_seq = content_handler_test1_alternate;