diff -ur jde-2.3.3.orig/lisp/jde.el jde-2.3.3/lisp/jde.el
--- jde-2.3.3.orig/lisp/jde.el	2003-12-07 21:22:40.000000000 -0600
+++ jde-2.3.3/lisp/jde.el	2005-01-12 11:46:13.213198782 -0600
@@ -1260,7 +1260,7 @@
 			     (easy-menu-create-menu 
 			      (car val) (cdr val))))
 		   (menu-name (car val)))
-	      (define-key-after (cdr (cdr files)) [jde-new]
+	      (define-key-after (or (cdr (cdr files)) (make-keymap)) [jde-new]
 		(cons menu-name menu)
 		'open-file)))))
 
Only in jde-2.3.3/lisp: jde.el~