diff --git a/src/lefile.cpp b/src/lefile.cpp
index 9ed021c3..845fe9f3 100644
--- a/src/lefile.cpp
+++ b/src/lefile.cpp
@@ -146,6 +146,8 @@ unsigned LeFile::getImageSize() const {
 
 void LeFile::readImage() {
     soimage = pages * mps;
+    if (!soimage) // late detection, but protect against .alloc(0)
+        throwCantPack("no soimage");
     mb_iimage.alloc(soimage);
     mb_iimage.clear();
     iimage = mb_iimage; // => now a SPAN_S
diff --git a/src/p_wcle.cpp b/src/p_wcle.cpp
index 7d441bb9..b3688645 100644
--- a/src/p_wcle.cpp
+++ b/src/p_wcle.cpp
@@ -157,6 +157,8 @@ void PackWcle::readObjectTable() {
     LeFile::readObjectTable();
 
     // temporary copy of the object descriptors
+    if (!objects) // late detection, but protect against .alloc(0)
+        throwCantPack("no objects");
     iobject_desc.alloc(objects * sizeof(*iobject_table));
     memcpy(iobject_desc, iobject_table, objects * sizeof(*iobject_table));