diff --git a/lisp/ox-tufte/ox-tufte.el b/lisp/ox-tufte/ox-tufte.el
index 50bd2b1b..37f295d8 100644
--- a/lisp/ox-tufte/ox-tufte.el
+++ b/lisp/ox-tufte/ox-tufte.el
@@ -300,7 +300,10 @@ advice may additionally temporarily override the value of
 `org-confirm-babel-evaluate' in order to allow the `marginnote'
 babel block."
   (random "ox-tufte") ;; initialize the random seed
-  (let* ((ox-tufte-p (org-export-derived-backend-p backend 'tufte-html))
+  (let* ((ox-tufte-p (and backend
+                          (org-export-backend-p backend)
+                          (org-export-backend-name backend)
+                          (org-export-derived-backend-p backend 'tufte-html)))
          (ox-tufte-first-call-p (and ox-tufte-p
                                      (not ox-tufte--sema-in-tufte-export)))
          (ox-tufte--sema-in-tufte-export (or ox-tufte-p