diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
index 78635feb1946..63311a73c16d 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
@@ -6161,7 +6161,11 @@ static int append_subprog_relos(struct bpf_program *main_prog, struct bpf_progra
 	if (main_prog == subprog)
 		return 0;
 	relos = libbpf_reallocarray(main_prog->reloc_desc, new_cnt, sizeof(*relos));
-	if (!relos)
+	/* if new count is zero, reallocarray can return a valid NULL result;
+	 * in this case the previous pointer will be freed, so we *have to*
+	 * reassign old pointer to the new value (even if it's NULL)
+	 */
+	if (!relos && new_cnt)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 	if (subprog->nr_reloc)
 		memcpy(relos + main_prog->nr_reloc, subprog->reloc_desc,
@@ -8532,7 +8536,8 @@ int bpf_program__set_insns(struct bpf_program *prog,
 		return -EBUSY;
 
 	insns = libbpf_reallocarray(prog->insns, new_insn_cnt, sizeof(*insns));
-	if (!insns) {
+	/* NULL is a valid return from reallocarray if the new count is zero */
+	if (!insns && new_insn_cnt) {
 		pr_warn("prog '%s': failed to realloc prog code\n", prog->name);
 		return -ENOMEM;
 	}
@@ -8841,7 +8846,11 @@ int libbpf_unregister_prog_handler(int handler_id)
 
 	/* try to shrink the array, but it's ok if we couldn't */
 	sec_defs = libbpf_reallocarray(custom_sec_defs, custom_sec_def_cnt, sizeof(*sec_defs));
-	if (sec_defs)
+	/* if new count is zero, reallocarray can return a valid NULL result;
+	 * in this case the previous pointer will be freed, so we *have to*
+	 * reassign old pointer to the new value (even if it's NULL)
+	 */
+	if (sec_defs || custom_sec_def_cnt == 0)
 		custom_sec_defs = sec_defs;
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/usdt.c b/tools/lib/bpf/usdt.c
index f1a141555f08..37455d00b239 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/usdt.c
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/usdt.c
@@ -852,8 +852,11 @@ static int bpf_link_usdt_detach(struct bpf_link *link)
 		 * system is so exhausted on memory, it's the least of user's
 		 * concerns, probably.
 		 * So just do our best here to return those IDs to usdt_manager.
+		 * Another edge case when we can legitimately get NULL is when
+		 * new_cnt is zero, which can happen in some edge cases, so we
+		 * need to be careful about that.
 		 */
-		if (new_free_ids) {
+		if (new_free_ids || new_cnt == 0) {
 			memcpy(new_free_ids + man->free_spec_cnt, usdt_link->spec_ids,
 			       usdt_link->spec_cnt * sizeof(*usdt_link->spec_ids));
 			man->free_spec_ids = new_free_ids;