Index: source/blender/modifiers/intern/MOD_displace.c
===================================================================
--- source/blender/modifiers/intern/MOD_displace.c	(revision 49894)
+++ source/blender/modifiers/intern/MOD_displace.c	(working copy)
@@ -140,8 +140,7 @@
 static int isDisabled(ModifierData *md, int UNUSED(useRenderParams))
 {
 	DisplaceModifierData *dmd = (DisplaceModifierData *) md;
-
-	return (!dmd->texture || dmd->strength == 0.0f);
+	return ((!dmd->texture && dmd->direction==MOD_DISP_DIR_RGB_XYZ) || dmd->strength == 0.0f);
 }
 
 static void updateDepgraph(ModifierData *md, DagForest *forest,
@@ -177,7 +176,7 @@
 	float (*tex_co)[3];
 	float weight = 1.0f; /* init value unused but some compilers may complain */
 
-	if (!dmd->texture) return;
+	if(!dmd->texture && dmd->direction==MOD_DISP_DIR_RGB_XYZ) return;
 	if (dmd->strength == 0.0f) return;
 
 	mvert = CDDM_get_verts(dm);
@@ -199,10 +198,15 @@
 		}
 
 		texres.nor = NULL;
-		get_texture_value(dmd->texture, tex_co[i], &texres);
+		if(!dmd->texture) {
+			texres.tin=1;
+			delta = texres.tin;
+		}
+		else {
+			get_texture_value(dmd->texture, tex_co[i], &texres);
+			delta = texres.tin - dmd->midlevel;
+		}
 
-		delta = texres.tin - dmd->midlevel;
-
 		if (dvert) strength *= weight;
 
 		delta *= strength;