mostly the equivalent of the new upstream version:  
https://github.com/transmission/transmission/blob/e14c7f38e59f89c5c6a67c1596a0e548869b7e9d/gtk/FilterBar.cc#L530
--- a/gtk/filter.c
+++ b/gtk/filter.c
@@ -599,7 +599,9 @@
 
     for (size_t i = 0; i < G_N_ELEMENTS(types); ++i)
     {
-        char const* name = types[i].context != NULL ? g_dpgettext2(NULL, types[i].context, types[i].name) : _(types[i].name);
+        char const* name = types[i].name ?
+            types[i].context != NULL ? g_dpgettext2(NULL, types[i].context, types[i].name) : _(types[i].name)
+            : "\0";
         gtk_list_store_insert_with_values(store, NULL, -1,
             ACTIVITY_FILTER_COL_NAME, name,
             ACTIVITY_FILTER_COL_TYPE, types[i].type,