diff --git a/modules/rostests/winetests/gdi32/palette.c b/modules/rostests/winetests/gdi32/palette.c
index aac16097fba..90a37690a42 100644
--- a/modules/rostests/winetests/gdi32/palette.c
+++ b/modules/rostests/winetests/gdi32/palette.c
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ static void test_palette_entries(void)
     ok(memcmp(&palEntry, &getEntryResult, sizeof(PALETTEENTRY)), "entries should not match\n");
 }
 
-static void test_halftone_palette(void)
+static void test_halftone_palette(HDC hdc)
 {
     HDC hdc;
     HPALETTE pal;
@@ -161,12 +161,12 @@ static void test_halftone_palette(void)
     PALETTEENTRY defpal[20];
     int i, count;
 
-    hdc = GetDC(0);
-
     count = GetPaletteEntries( GetStockObject(DEFAULT_PALETTE), 0, 20, defpal );
     ok( count == 20, "wrong size %u\n", count );
 
     pal = CreateHalftonePalette( hdc );
+    ok( pal != NULL, "error=%ld\n", GetLastError() );
+
     count = GetPaletteEntries( pal, 0, 256, entries );
     ok( count == 256 || broken(count <= 20), /* nt 4 */
         "wrong size %u\n", count );
@@ -331,6 +331,7 @@ START_TEST(palette)
 {
     test_DIB_PAL_COLORS();
     test_palette_entries();
-    test_halftone_palette();
+    test_halftone_palette(GetDC(0));
+    test_halftone_palette(NULL);
     test_system_palette_entries();
 }
diff --git a/win32ss/gdi/ntgdi/palette.c b/win32ss/gdi/ntgdi/palette.c
index 41a3d9639c9..ac22959e40d 100644
--- a/win32ss/gdi/ntgdi/palette.c
+++ b/win32ss/gdi/ntgdi/palette.c
@@ -528,12 +528,12 @@ NtGdiCreateHalftonePalette(HDC  hDC)
 {
     int i, r, g, b;
     PALETTEENTRY PalEntries[256];
-    PPALETTE ppal;
-    PDC pdc;
+    PPALETTE ppal = NULL;
+    PDC pdc = NULL;
     HPALETTE hpal = NULL;
 
     pdc = DC_LockDc(hDC);
-    if (!pdc)
+    if (hDC && !pdc)
     {
         EngSetLastError(ERROR_INVALID_HANDLE);
         return NULL;
@@ -553,7 +553,9 @@ NtGdiCreateHalftonePalette(HDC  hDC)
         PalEntries[246 + i].peBlue = g_sysPalTemplate[10 + i].peBlue;
     }
 
-    ppal = PALETTE_ShareLockPalette(pdc->dclevel.hpal);
+    if (pdc)
+        ppal = PALETTE_ShareLockPalette(pdc->dclevel.hpal);
+
     if (ppal && (ppal->flFlags & PAL_INDEXED))
     {
         /* FIXME: optimize the palette for the current palette */
@@ -587,7 +589,8 @@ NtGdiCreateHalftonePalette(HDC  hDC)
     if (ppal)
         PALETTE_ShareUnlockPalette(ppal);
 
-    DC_UnlockDc(pdc);
+    if (pdc)
+        DC_UnlockDc(pdc);
 
     ppal = PALETTE_AllocPalWithHandle(PAL_INDEXED, 256, PalEntries, 0, 0, 0);
     if (ppal)