diff --git a/main/options.c b/main/options.c
index 1c54b78c42..d2b0572162 100644
--- a/main/options.c
+++ b/main/options.c
@@ -3522,7 +3522,7 @@ static char* prependEnvvar (const char *path, const char* envvar)
 	char *full_path = NULL;
 
 	const char* const envval = getenv (envvar);
-	if (envval)
+	if (envval && strlen (envval))
 		full_path = combinePathAndFile(envval, path);
 
 	return full_path;
@@ -3544,9 +3544,11 @@ static char *getConfigAtHomeOnWindows (const char *path,
 		vStringCatS (windowsHome, homeDrive);
 		vStringCatS (windowsHome, homePath);
 
-		char *tmp = combinePathAndFile (vStringValue(windowsHome), path);
-		vStringDelete (windowsHome);
+		char *tmp = vStringIsEmpty (windowsHome)
+			? NULL
+			: combinePathAndFile (vStringValue(windowsHome), path);
 
+		vStringDelete (windowsHome);
 		return tmp;
 	}
 	return NULL;
diff --git a/main/routines.c b/main/routines.c
index f9e64a55ff..d4d726bd27 100644
--- a/main/routines.c
+++ b/main/routines.c
@@ -714,14 +714,18 @@ extern char *combinePathAndFile (
 	const char *const path, const char *const file)
 {
 	vString *const filePath = vStringNew ();
-	const int lastChar = path [strlen (path) - 1];
-	bool terminated = isPathSeparator (lastChar);
+	size_t len = strlen (path);
 
-	vStringCopyS (filePath, path);
-	if (! terminated)
-		vStringPut (filePath, OUTPUT_PATH_SEPARATOR);
-	vStringCatS (filePath, file);
+	if (len)
+	{
+		const int lastChar = path [len - 1];
+		bool terminated = isPathSeparator (lastChar);
+		vStringCopyS (filePath, path);
+		if (! terminated)
+			vStringPut (filePath, OUTPUT_PATH_SEPARATOR);
+	}
 
+	vStringCatS (filePath, file);
 	return vStringDeleteUnwrap (filePath);
 }