diff --git a/src/libacl/aclprocs.c b/src/libacl/aclprocs.c
index cd07e813c9..ab6b21dac2 100644
--- a/src/libacl/aclprocs.c
+++ b/src/libacl/aclprocs.c
@@ -264,10 +264,12 @@ acl_Internalize_pr(int (*func)(namelist *names, idlist *ids), char *elist, struc
     nextc = elist;
     while (*nextc && *nextc != '\n')
 	nextc++;
-    nextc++;
+    if (*nextc != '\0')
+	nextc++;
     while (*nextc && *nextc != '\n')
 	nextc++;
-    nextc++;			/* now at the beginning of the entry list */
+    if (*nextc != '\0')
+	nextc++;			/* now at the beginning of the entry list */
     for (i = 0; i < (*acl)->positive; i++) {
 	int k;
 	if (sscanf(nextc, "%63s\t%d\n", lnames.namelist_val[i], &k) != 2) {