diff --git a/src/functionObjects/forces/propellerInfo/propellerInfo.C b/src/functionObjects/forces/propellerInfo/propellerInfo.C
index 5ea5e80224..b7d3d5d660 100644
--- a/src/functionObjects/forces/propellerInfo/propellerInfo.C
+++ b/src/functionObjects/forces/propellerInfo/propellerInfo.C
@@ -729,13 +729,23 @@ void Foam::functionObjects::propellerInfo::writeAxialWake
 }
 
 
-void Foam::functionObjects::propellerInfo::writeWakeFields(const scalar URef)
+void Foam::functionObjects::propellerInfo::writeWakeFields(const scalar URef0)
 {
     if (!writeWakeFields_)
     {
         return;
     }
 
+    scalar URef = URef0;
+    if (mag(URef) < ROOTSMALL)
+    {
+        WarningInFunction
+            << "Magnitude of reference velocity should be greater than zero"
+            << endl;
+
+        URef = ROOTVSMALL;
+    }
+
     // Normalised velocity
     const vectorField UDisk(interpolate(U(), vector::uniform(nanValue_))());
     const vectorField UrDisk(coordSysPtr_->localVector(UDisk));