diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Tools/Decimater/McDecimaterT.cc b/src/OpenMesh/Tools/Decimater/McDecimaterT.cc
index f974753f..8dcfe74b 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Tools/Decimater/McDecimaterT.cc
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Tools/Decimater/McDecimaterT.cc
@@ -141,6 +141,11 @@ size_t McDecimaterT<Mesh>::decimate(size_t _n_collapses) {
       tmpHandle = typename Mesh::HalfedgeHandle( (double(rand()) / double(RAND_MAX) ) * double(mesh_.n_halfedges()-1) );
 #endif
 
+      // Only take valid Handles!
+      if ( tmpHandle.idx() >=mesh_.n_halfedges()  )  {
+        continue;
+      }
+
       // if it is not deleted, we analyse it
       if ( ! mesh_.status(tmpHandle).deleted()  ) {
 
@@ -263,6 +268,11 @@ size_t McDecimaterT<Mesh>::decimate_to_faces(size_t _nv, size_t _nf) {
       tmpHandle = typename Mesh::HalfedgeHandle( ( double(rand()) / double(RAND_MAX) ) * double(mesh_.n_halfedges() - 1));
 #endif
 
+      // Only take valid Handles!
+      if ( tmpHandle.idx() >=mesh_.n_halfedges()  )  {
+        continue;
+      }
+
       // if it is not deleted, we analyse it
       if (!mesh_.status(tmpHandle).deleted()) {
 
@@ -401,6 +411,11 @@ size_t McDecimaterT<Mesh>::decimate_constraints_only(float _factor) {
       tmpHandle = typename Mesh::HalfedgeHandle(int(rand() * randomNormalizer ) );
 #endif
 
+      // Only take valid Handles!
+      if ( tmpHandle.idx() >=mesh_.n_halfedges()  )  {
+        continue;
+      }
+
       // if it is not deleted, we analyze it
       if (!mesh_.status(mesh_.edge_handle(tmpHandle)).deleted()) {