diff --git a/src/js/media/flash.js b/src/js/media/flash.js
index 6bf426887d..3a44f0cc21 100644
--- a/src/js/media/flash.js
+++ b/src/js/media/flash.js
@@ -174,9 +174,19 @@ vjs.Flash.prototype.seekable = function() {
 };
 
 vjs.Flash.prototype.buffered = function(){
+  if (!this.el_.vjs_getProperty) {
+    return vjs.createTimeRange();
+  }
   return vjs.createTimeRange(0, this.el_.vjs_getProperty('buffered'));
 };
 
+vjs.Flash.prototype.duration = function(){
+  if (!this.el_.vjs_getProperty) {
+    return 0;
+  }
+  return this.el_.vjs_getProperty('duration');
+};
+
 vjs.Flash.prototype.supportsFullScreen = function(){
   return false; // Flash does not allow fullscreen through javascript
 };
@@ -189,7 +199,7 @@ vjs.Flash.prototype.enterFullScreen = function(){
   // Create setters and getters for attributes
   var api = vjs.Flash.prototype,
     readWrite = 'rtmpConnection,rtmpStream,preload,defaultPlaybackRate,playbackRate,autoplay,loop,mediaGroup,controller,controls,volume,muted,defaultMuted'.split(','),
-    readOnly = 'error,networkState,readyState,seeking,initialTime,duration,startOffsetTime,paused,played,ended,videoTracks,audioTracks,videoWidth,videoHeight'.split(','),
+    readOnly = 'error,networkState,readyState,seeking,initialTime,startOffsetTime,paused,played,ended,videoTracks,audioTracks,videoWidth,videoHeight'.split(','),
     // Overridden: buffered, currentTime, currentSrc
     i;
 
diff --git a/test/unit/flash.js b/test/unit/flash.js
index 38051039f8..e8dce04827 100644
--- a/test/unit/flash.js
+++ b/test/unit/flash.js
@@ -186,3 +186,17 @@ test('seekable should be empty if no video is loaded', function() {
 
   equal(tech.seekable().length, 0, 'seekable is empty');
 });
+
+test('calling methods before the SWF loads is safe', function() {
+  var player = PlayerTest.makePlayer(),
+      tech = new vjs.Flash(player, {
+        'parentEl': player.el()
+      });
+
+  // force Flash callbacks to be undefined as they would be before the
+  // SWF is ready
+  tech.el().vjs_getProperty = undefined;
+
+  equal(tech.buffered().length, 0, 'buffered percent is 0');
+  equal(tech.duration(), 0, 'duration is 0');
+});