--- a/FlyByHelp.st	Fri Oct 28 17:54:11 2016 +0200
+++ b/FlyByHelp.st	Wed Nov 02 19:23:32 2016 +0100
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@
         ]
     ].
 
-    text size > 0 ifTrue:[
+    ((text size > 0) or:[text isString not]) ifTrue:[
         (showItNow not and:[(delayTime := self delayTime) > 0]) ifTrue:[
             self stopHelpDisplayProcess.
             showProcess := 
@@ -398,13 +398,18 @@
     "/ no longer done here (otherwise, we could not generate tooltips with windows filenames in it)
     textLines := helpTextShown isStringCollection 
                     ifTrue:[helpTextShown]
-                    ifFalse:[ helpTextShown "withCRs" asCollectionOfLines asStringCollection].
-    textLines size > (self class maxNumberOfLines) ifTrue:[
-        textLines := (textLines copyTo:(self class maxNumberOfLines)) copyWith:'...'
+                    ifFalse:[ 
+                        helpTextShown isString 
+                            ifTrue:[helpTextShown "withCRs" asCollectionOfLines asStringCollection]
+                            ifFalse:[nil]].
+    textLines notNil ifTrue:[
+        textLines size > (self class maxNumberOfLines) ifTrue:[
+            textLines := (textLines copyTo:(self class maxNumberOfLines)) copyWith:'...'
+        ].
+        textLines := textLines collect:[:l | l contractAtEndTo:(self class maxNumberOfColumns)].
+        helpTextShown := textLines asString.
     ].
-    textLines := textLines collect:[:l | l contractAtEndTo:(self class maxNumberOfColumns)].
-    helpTextShown := textLines asString.
-
+    
     (p := closeProcess) notNil ifTrue:[
         closeProcess := nil.
         p terminate.