diff --git a/src/rx/rx_identity.c b/src/rx/rx_identity.c
index ae9c694d19..3d87ec4364 100644
--- a/src/rx/rx_identity.c
+++ b/src/rx/rx_identity.c
@@ -79,8 +79,11 @@ rx_identity_populate(struct rx_identity *identity, rx_identity_kind kind,
     memset(identity, 0, sizeof(struct rx_identity));
 
     identity->kind = kind;
-    identity->displayName = rxi_Alloc(strlen(displayName)+1);
-    memcpy(identity->displayName, displayName, strlen(displayName)+1);
+
+    if (displayName) {
+	identity->displayName = rxi_Alloc(strlen(displayName)+1);
+	memcpy(identity->displayName, displayName, strlen(displayName)+1);
+    }
 
     rx_opaque_populate(&identity->exportedName, enameData, enameLength);
 }
diff --git a/src/rx/rx_opaque.c b/src/rx/rx_opaque.c
index db3e407063..0b3ee2dd34 100644
--- a/src/rx/rx_opaque.c
+++ b/src/rx/rx_opaque.c
@@ -110,6 +110,9 @@ rx_opaque_populate(struct rx_opaque *to, void *data, size_t datalen)
     to->len = 0;
     to->val = NULL;
 
+    if (data == NULL || datalen == 0)
+	return 0;
+
     code = rx_opaque_alloc(to, datalen);
     if (code)
         return code;