diff --git a/js/widgets/widget-pager.js b/js/widgets/widget-pager.js
index 3cf7f39b..7cbb4799 100644
--- a/js/widgets/widget-pager.js
+++ b/js/widgets/widget-pager.js
@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@
 		},
 
 		updatePageDisplay: function( c, completed ) {
-			if ( c.pager.initializing ) { return; }
+			if ( c.pager && c.pager.initializing ) { return; }
 			var s, t, $out, options, indx, len,
 				table = c.table,
 				wo = c.widgetOptions,
@@ -1165,25 +1165,32 @@
 		destroyPager: function( c, refreshing ) {
 			var table = c.table,
 				p = c.pager,
-				s = c.widgetOptions.pager_selectors,
+				s = c.widgetOptions.pager_selectors || {},
 				ctrls = [ s.first, s.prev, s.next, s.last, s.gotoPage, s.pageSize ].join( ',' ),
 				namespace = c.namespace + 'pager';
-			p.initialized = false;
-			c.$table.off( namespace );
-			p.$container
-				// hide pager
-				.hide()
-				// unbind pager controls
-				.find( ctrls )
-				.off( namespace );
-			if ( refreshing ) { return; }
-			tsp.showAllRows( c );
-			c.appender = null; // remove pager appender function
-			if ( ts.storage ) {
-				ts.storage( table, c.widgetOptions.pager_storageKey, '' );
+			// check pager object in case two successive pager destroys are triggered
+			// e.g. "destroyPager" then "removeWidget" - see #1155
+			if ( p ) {
+				p.initialized = false;
+				c.$table.off( namespace );
+				p.$container
+					// hide pager
+					.hide()
+					// unbind pager controls
+					.find( ctrls )
+					.off( namespace );
+				if ( refreshing ) { return; }
+				c.appender = null; // remove pager appender function
+				tsp.showAllRows( c );
+				if ( ts.storage ) {
+					ts.storage( table, c.widgetOptions.pager_storageKey, '' );
+				}
+				p.$container = null;
+				p.$goto = null;
+				p.$size = null;
+				c.pager = null;
+				c.rowsCopy = null;
 			}
-			delete table.config.pager;
-			delete table.config.rowsCopy;
 		},
 
 		enablePager: function( c, triggered ) {