Index: src/mod_userdir.c
===================================================================
--- src/mod_userdir.c	(revision 2119)
+++ src/mod_userdir.c	(revision 2120)
@@ -177,6 +177,11 @@
 
 	mod_userdir_patch_connection(srv, con, p);
 
+	/* enforce the userdir.path to be set in the config, ugly fix for #1587;
+	 * should be replaced with a clean .enabled option in 1.5
+	 */
+	if (p->conf.path->used == 0) return HANDLER_GO_ON;
+
 	uri_len = con->uri.path->used - 1;
 
 	/* /~user/foo.html -> /home/user/public_html/foo.html */