diff --git a/IkiWiki/Plugin/trail.pm b/IkiWiki/Plugin/trail.pm
index cb94855fd..d5fb2b5d6 100644
--- a/IkiWiki/Plugin/trail.pm
+++ b/IkiWiki/Plugin/trail.pm
@@ -411,6 +411,8 @@ sub pagetemplate (@) {
 	my $page = $params{page};
 	my $template = $params{template};
 
+	return unless length $page;
+
 	if ($template->query(name => 'trails') && ! $recursive) {
 		prerender();
 
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index cf6d90a8a..d1d132e1e 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ ikiwiki (3.20121213) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
     are disabled. (smcv)
   * poll: Add expandable option to allow users to easily add new choices to
     a poll.
+  * trail: Avoid massive slowdown caused by pagetemplate hook when displaying
+    dynamic cgi pages, which cannot use trail anyway.
 
  -- Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org>  Sat, 22 Dec 2012 16:15:24 -0400