diff --git a/src/server/distrend.c b/src/server/distrend.c
--- a/src/server/distrend.c
+++ b/src/server/distrend.c
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ int prepare_distrenjob(struct distrenjob
 
   /* prepares all the frames by setting that status to "unassigned" */
   counter2 = start_frame;
-  for(counter = 0; counter <= (end_frame- start_frame + 1); counter++){
+  for(counter = 0; counter <= distrenjob->total_frames; counter++){
     distrenjob->frameset[counter].num = counter2;
     distrenjob->frameset[counter].status = FRAMESETSTATUS_UNASSIGNED;
 
@@ -652,15 +652,6 @@ struct distrenjob *createJobFromXML(int 
   distrenjob->total_frames = atoi((char*)xmlGetProp(cur, (xmlChar*)"end_frame")) - start_frame + 1;
   distrenjob->output_format = (char*)xmlGetProp(cur, (xmlChar*)"output_format");
 
-  counter2 = start_frame;
-  for(counter = 0; counter <= distrenjob->total_frames; counter++)
-    {
-      distrenjob->frameset[counter].num = counter2;
-      distrenjob->frameset[counter].status = FRAMESETSTATUS_UNASSIGNED;
-
-      counter2++;
-    }
-
   cur = cur->next;
   distrenjob->watchdog_forgiveness = atoi((char*)xmlNodeListGetString(doc, cur->xmlChildrenNode, 1));
 
@@ -676,6 +667,17 @@ struct distrenjob *createJobFromXML(int 
 
   xmlFreeDoc(doc);
 
+  distrenjob->frameset = malloc(sizeof(struct frameset) * distrenjob->total_frames);
+
+  // change the status of all frames to "unassigned"
+  counter2 = start_frame;
+  for(counter = 0; counter <= (end_frame- start_frame + 1); counter++){
+    distrenjob->frameset[counter].num = counter2;
+    distrenjob->frameset[counter].status = FRAMESETSTATUS_UNASSIGNED;
+
+    counter2++;
+  }
+
   restoreJobState(distrenjob);
   return distrenjob;
 }