diff --git a/modules/ml/src/rtrees.cpp b/modules/ml/src/rtrees.cpp
index 8879999de3..f2331275a4 100644
--- a/modules/ml/src/rtrees.cpp
+++ b/modules/ml/src/rtrees.cpp
@@ -158,8 +158,12 @@ CvDTreeSplit* CvForestTree::find_best_split( CvDTreeNode* node )
 
     cv::parallel_reduce(cv::BlockedRange(0, data->var_count), finder);
 
-    CvDTreeSplit *bestSplit = data->new_split_cat( 0, -1.0f );
-    memcpy( bestSplit, finder.bestSplit, finder.splitSize );
+    CvDTreeSplit *bestSplit = 0;
+    if( finder.bestSplit->quality > 0 )
+    {
+        bestSplit = data->new_split_cat( 0, -1.0f );
+        memcpy( bestSplit, finder.bestSplit, finder.splitSize );
+    }
 
     return bestSplit;
 }
diff --git a/modules/ml/src/tree.cpp b/modules/ml/src/tree.cpp
index 117a269f34..ebf9cc2d8c 100644
--- a/modules/ml/src/tree.cpp
+++ b/modules/ml/src/tree.cpp
@@ -1877,8 +1877,12 @@ CvDTreeSplit* CvDTree::find_best_split( CvDTreeNode* node )
 
     cv::parallel_reduce(cv::BlockedRange(0, data->var_count), finder);
 
-    CvDTreeSplit *bestSplit = data->new_split_cat( 0, -1.0f );
-    memcpy( bestSplit, finder.bestSplit, finder.splitSize );
+    CvDTreeSplit *bestSplit = 0;
+    if( finder.bestSplit->quality > 0 )
+    {
+        bestSplit = data->new_split_cat( 0, -1.0f );
+        memcpy( bestSplit, finder.bestSplit, finder.splitSize );
+    }
 
     return bestSplit;
 }