diff --git a/src/analysis/raster/qgsrastercalculator.cpp b/src/analysis/raster/qgsrastercalculator.cpp
index 0769c82e7695..1203d3608574 100644
--- a/src/analysis/raster/qgsrastercalculator.cpp
+++ b/src/analysis/raster/qgsrastercalculator.cpp
@@ -79,6 +79,11 @@ QgsRasterCalculator::QgsRasterCalculator( const QString &formulaString, const QS
   , mRasterEntries( rasterEntries )
   , mTransformContext( transformContext )
 {
+  //default to first layer's crs
+  if ( !mRasterEntries.isEmpty() )
+  {
+    mOutputCrs = mRasterEntries.at( 0 ).raster->crs();
+  }
 }
 
 QgsRasterCalculator::QgsRasterCalculator( const QString &formulaString, const QString &outputFile, const QString &outputFormat, const QgsRectangle &outputExtent, const QgsCoordinateReferenceSystem &outputCrs, int nOutputColumns, int nOutputRows, const QVector<QgsRasterCalculatorEntry> &rasterEntries, const QgsCoordinateTransformContext &transformContext )
@@ -105,7 +110,10 @@ QgsRasterCalculator::QgsRasterCalculator( const QString &formulaString, const QS
   , mRasterEntries( rasterEntries )
 {
   //default to first layer's crs
-  mOutputCrs = mRasterEntries.at( 0 ).raster->crs();
+  if ( !mRasterEntries.isEmpty() )
+  {
+    mOutputCrs = mRasterEntries.at( 0 ).raster->crs();
+  }
   mTransformContext = QgsProject::instance()->transformContext();
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/src/analysis/testqgsrastercalculator.cpp b/tests/src/analysis/testqgsrastercalculator.cpp
index 6cfc959da153..1dee37ea0922 100644
--- a/tests/src/analysis/testqgsrastercalculator.cpp
+++ b/tests/src/analysis/testqgsrastercalculator.cpp
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ class TestQgsRasterCalculator : public QgsTest
     void findNodes();
 
     void testRasterEntries();
+    void testOutputCrsFromRasterEntries();
     void calcFormulasWithReprojectedLayers();
 
     void testStatistics();
@@ -717,6 +718,30 @@ void TestQgsRasterCalculator::toString()
   QVERIFY( calcNode == nullptr );
 }
 
+void TestQgsRasterCalculator::testOutputCrsFromRasterEntries()
+{
+  QgsRasterCalculatorEntry entry1;
+  entry1.bandNumber = 1;
+  entry1.raster = mpLandsatRasterLayer;
+  entry1.ref = QStringLiteral( "landsat@0" );
+
+  QVector<QgsRasterCalculatorEntry> entries;
+  entries << entry1;
+
+  QgsRectangle extent( 783235, 3348110, 783350, 3347960 );
+
+  QTemporaryFile tmpFile;
+  tmpFile.open(); // fileName is not available until open
+  QString tmpName = tmpFile.fileName();
+  tmpFile.close();
+
+  QgsRasterCalculator rc( QStringLiteral( "\"landsat@0\"" ), tmpName, QStringLiteral( "GTiff" ), extent, 2, 3, entries, QgsProject::instance()->transformContext() );
+  QCOMPARE( static_cast<int>( rc.processCalculation() ), 0 );
+  //open output file and check results
+  QgsRasterLayer *result = new QgsRasterLayer( tmpName, QStringLiteral( "result" ) );
+  QCOMPARE( result->crs(), mpLandsatRasterLayer->crs() );
+}
+
 void TestQgsRasterCalculator::calcFormulasWithReprojectedLayers()
 {
   QgsRasterCalculatorEntry entry1;