diff --git a/events/interactionCreate.js b/events/interactionCreate.js
index 49c59a3..87b69bb 100644
--- a/events/interactionCreate.js
+++ b/events/interactionCreate.js
@@ -206,12 +206,17 @@ module.exports = {
       } catch (error) {
         error.errorContext = `[InteractionCreate]: an error occurred while executing the ${command.data.name} command.`;
         client.emit("error", error);
-        await interaction.editReply({
+        const commandErrorReply = {
           content:
             config.errors.command_error ||
             "There was an error while executing this command!",
           flags: MessageFlags.Ephemeral,
-        });
+        };
+        if (interaction.deferred || interaction.replied) {
+          await interaction.editReply(commandErrorReply);
+        } else {
+          await interaction.reply(commandErrorReply);
+        }
       }
     } else if (interaction.isStringSelectMenu()) {
       if (interaction.customId === "categoryMenu") {
diff --git a/utils/mainUtils.js b/utils/mainUtils.js
index 64eacfd..e490976 100644
--- a/utils/mainUtils.js
+++ b/utils/mainUtils.js
@@ -36,7 +36,10 @@ async function logMessage(message) {
 
 async function checkSupportRole(interaction) {
   const foundId = await ticketsDB.get(`${interaction.channel.id}.button`);
-  const allowedRoles = ticketCategories[foundId].support_role_ids;
+  const allowedRoles = ticketCategories[foundId]?.support_role_ids;
+  if (!allowedRoles) {
+    return false;
+  }
   return interaction.member.roles.cache.some((role) =>
     allowedRoles.includes(role.id),
   );
diff --git a/utils/ticketClose.js b/utils/ticketClose.js
index 419a540..48090ce 100644
--- a/utils/ticketClose.js
+++ b/utils/ticketClose.js
@@ -20,13 +20,24 @@ const {
 } = require("./mainUtils.js");
 
 async function closeTicket(interaction, reason = "No reason provided.") {
+  const ticketCreatorID = await ticketsDB.get(
+    `${interaction.channel.id}.userID`,
+  );
+  const ticketUserID = ticketCreatorID ? await getUser(ticketCreatorID) : null;
+  if (!ticketUserID) {
+    await logMessage(
+      `Could not close the ticket in channel ${interaction.channel.id}: its database entry has no creator, or the creator could not be fetched.`,
+    );
+    await interaction.editReply({
+      content:
+        "The ticket data for this channel is missing, so it cannot be closed. Delete the channel manually instead.",
+    });
+    return;
+  }
   await ticketsDB.set(
     `${interaction.channel.id}.closeUserID`,
     interaction.user.id,
   );
-  const ticketUserID = await getUser(
-    await ticketsDB.get(`${interaction.channel.id}.userID`),
-  );
   const claimUserID = await ticketsDB.get(
     `${interaction.channel.id}.claimUser`,
   );