diff --git a/g10/misc.c b/g10/misc.c
index 6577bb902..fca071836 100644
--- a/g10/misc.c
+++ b/g10/misc.c
@@ -917,6 +917,11 @@ pct_expando(const char *string,struct expando_args *args)
   u32 pk_keyid[2]={0,0},sk_keyid[2]={0,0};
   char *ret=NULL;
 
+  /* The parser below would return NULL for an empty string, thus we
+   * catch it here.  Also catch NULL here. */
+  if (!string || !*string)
+    return xstrdup ("");
+
   if(args->pk)
     keyid_from_pk(args->pk,pk_keyid);
 
diff --git a/g10/photoid.c b/g10/photoid.c
index f9720d329..81ea7a0ca 100644
--- a/g10/photoid.c
+++ b/g10/photoid.c
@@ -341,6 +341,11 @@ show_photos (ctrl_t ctrl, const struct user_attribute *attrs, int count,
 	command=pct_expando(opt.photo_viewer,&args);
 	if(!command)
 	  goto fail;
+        if (!*command)
+          {
+            xfree (command);
+            goto fail;
+          }
 
 	name=xmalloc(16+strlen(EXTSEP_S)+
 		     strlen(image_type_to_string(args.imagetype,0))+1);