--- a/popt/popt.c
+++ b/popt/popt.c
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ static void prtcon(const char *msg, poptContext con)
 
 void poptSetExecPath(poptContext con, const char * path, int allowAbsolute)
 {
+    if (con == NULL) return;
     con->execPath = _free(con->execPath);
     con->execPath = xstrdup(path);
     con->execAbsolute = allowAbsolute;
@@ -70,7 +71,7 @@ static void invokeCallbacksPRE(poptContext con, const struct poptOption * opt)
 	/*@globals internalState@*/
 	/*@modifies internalState@*/
 {
-    if (opt != NULL)
+    if (con == NULL || opt == NULL) return;
     for (; opt->longName || opt->shortName || opt->arg; opt++) {
 	poptArg arg = { .ptr = opt->arg };
 	if (arg.ptr)
@@ -94,7 +95,7 @@ static void invokeCallbacksPOST(poptContext con, const struct poptOption * opt)
 	/*@globals internalState@*/
 	/*@modifies internalState@*/
 {
-    if (opt != NULL)
+    if (con == NULL || opt == NULL) return;
     for (; opt->longName || opt->shortName || opt->arg; opt++) {
 	poptArg arg = { .ptr = opt->arg };
 	if (arg.ptr)
@@ -124,7 +125,7 @@ static void invokeCallbacksOPTION(poptContext con,
     const struct poptOption * cbopt = NULL;
     poptArg cbarg = { .ptr = NULL };
 
-    if (opt != NULL)
+    if (con == NULL || opt == NULL) return;
     for (; opt->longName || opt->shortName || opt->arg; opt++) {
 	poptArg arg = { .ptr = opt->arg };
 	switch (poptArgType(opt)) {
@@ -260,7 +261,7 @@ static int handleExec(/*@special@*/ poptContext con,
     poptItem item;
     int i;
 
-    if (con->execs == NULL || con->numExecs <= 0) /* XXX can't happen */
+    if (con == NULL || con->execs == NULL || con->numExecs <= 0) /* XXX can't happen */
 	return 0;
 
     for (i = con->numExecs - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
@@ -319,7 +320,7 @@ static int handleAlias(/*@special@*/ poptContext con,
 		con->os->currAlias, con->os->currAlias->option.longName @*/
 	/*@modifies con @*/
 {
-    poptItem item = con->os->currAlias;
+    poptItem item = (con && con->os) ? con->os->currAlias : NULL;
     int rc;
     int i;
 
@@ -333,7 +334,7 @@ static int handleAlias(/*@special@*/ poptContext con,
 	    return 0;
     }
 
-    if (con->aliases == NULL || con->numAliases <= 0) /* XXX can't happen */
+    if (con == NULL || con->aliases == NULL || con->numAliases <= 0) /* XXX can't happen */
 	return 0;
 
     for (i = con->numAliases - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
@@ -442,7 +443,7 @@ static int execCommand(poptContext con)
 	/*@globals internalState @*/
 	/*@modifies internalState @*/
 {
-    poptItem item = con->doExec;
+    poptItem item = con ? con->doExec : NULL;
     poptArgv argv = NULL;
     int argc = 0;
     int rc;
@@ -608,9 +609,11 @@ static const char * findNextArg(/*@special@*/ poptContext con,
 		con->os->next, con->os->argb, con->os->argc, con->os->argv @*/
 	/*@modifies con @*/
 {
-    struct optionStackEntry * os = con->os;
+    struct optionStackEntry * os = con ? con->os : NULL;
     const char * arg;
 
+    if (os == NULL || con->optionStack == NULL) return NULL;
+
     do {
 	int i;
 	arg = NULL;
@@ -650,6 +653,8 @@ expandNextArg(/*@special@*/ poptContext con, const char * s)
     size_t tn = strlen(s) + 1;
     char c;
 
+    if (con == NULL) return NULL;
+
     te = t = malloc(tn);
     if (t == NULL) return NULL;		/* XXX can't happen */
     *t = '\0';
@@ -1283,6 +1288,9 @@ int poptAddAlias(poptContext con, struct poptAlias alias,
 {
     struct poptItem_s item_buf;
     poptItem item = &item_buf;
+
+    if (con == NULL) return 1;
+
     memset(item, 0, sizeof(*item));
     item->option.longName = alias.longName;
     item->option.shortName = alias.shortName;
@@ -1301,6 +1309,8 @@ int poptAddItem(poptContext con, poptItem newItem, int flags)
     poptItem * items, item;
     int * nitems;
 
+    if (con == NULL) return 1;
+
     switch (flags) {
     case 1:
 	items = &con->execs;
@@ -1372,6 +1382,8 @@ const char * poptStrerror(const int error)
 	return POPT_("memory allocation failed");
       case POPT_ERROR_ERRNO:
 	return strerror(errno);
+      case POPT_ERROR_NOCONTEXT:
+	return POPT_("no context");
       default:
 	return POPT_("unknown error");
     }
@@ -1382,6 +1394,9 @@ int poptStuffArgs(poptContext con, const char ** argv)
     int argc;
     int rc;
 
+    if (con == NULL)
+	return POPT_ERROR_NOCONTEXT;
+
     if ((con->os - con->optionStack) == POPT_OPTION_DEPTH)
 	return POPT_ERROR_OPTSTOODEEP;
 
@@ -1402,7 +1417,7 @@ int poptStuffArgs(poptContext con, const char ** argv)
 
 const char * poptGetInvocationName(poptContext con)
 {
-    return (con->os->argv ? con->os->argv[0] : "");
+    return ((con && con->os->argv) ? con->os->argv[0] : "");
 }
 
 int poptStrippedArgv(poptContext con, int argc, char ** argv)
@@ -1412,14 +1427,14 @@ int poptStrippedArgv(poptContext con, int argc, char ** argv)
     int i;
     
 /*@-sizeoftype@*/
-    if (con->arg_strip)
+    if (con && con->arg_strip)
     for (i = 1; i < argc; i++) {
 	if (PBM_ISSET(i, con->arg_strip))
 	    numargs--;
     }
     
     for (i = 1; i < argc; i++) {
-	if (con->arg_strip && PBM_ISSET(i, con->arg_strip))
+	if (con && con->arg_strip && PBM_ISSET(i, con->arg_strip))
 	    continue;
 	argv[j] = (j < numargs) ? argv[i] : NULL;
 	j++;
--- a/popt/popt.h
+++ b/popt/popt.h
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@
 #define	POPT_ERROR_BADOPERATION	-19	/*!< mutually exclusive logical operations requested */
 #define	POPT_ERROR_NULLARG	-20	/*!< opt->arg should not be NULL */
 #define	POPT_ERROR_MALLOC	-21	/*!< memory allocation failed */
+#define	POPT_ERROR_NOCONTEXT	-22	/*!< no context */
 /*@}*/
 
 /** \ingroup popt
--- a/popt/poptconfig.c
+++ b/popt/poptconfig.c
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ static void configLine(poptContext con, char * line)
     poptItem item = &item_buf;
     int i, j;
 
-    if (con->appName == NULL)
+    if (con == NULL || con->appName == NULL)
 	return;
     nameLength = strlen(con->appName);
     
@@ -119,6 +119,8 @@ int poptReadConfigFile(poptContext con, const char * fn)
     int fd, rc;
     off_t fileLength;
 
+    if (con == NULL) return POPT_ERROR_NOCONTEXT;
+
     fd = open(fn, O_RDONLY);
     if (fd < 0)
 	return (errno == ENOENT ? 0 : POPT_ERROR_ERRNO);
@@ -190,7 +192,7 @@ int poptReadDefaultConfig(poptContext con, /*@unused@*/ UNUSED(int useEnv))
     struct stat s;
     int rc;
 
-    if (con->appName == NULL) return 0;
+    if (con == NULL || con->appName == NULL) return 0;
 
     if (strcmp(_popt_sysconfdir, _popt_etc)) {
 	rc = poptReadConfigFile(con, _popt_sysconfdir);
--- a/popt/popthelp.c
+++ b/popt/popthelp.c
@@ -588,6 +588,8 @@ static void singleTableHelp(poptContext con, FILE * fp,
     const char *sub_transdom;
     int xx;
 
+    if (con == NULL) return;
+
     if (table == poptAliasOptions) {
 	itemHelp(fp, con->aliases, con->numAliases, columns, NULL);
 	itemHelp(fp, con->execs, con->numExecs, columns, NULL);
@@ -633,7 +635,7 @@ static size_t showHelpIntro(poptContext con, FILE * fp)
     xx = POPT_fprintf(fp, POPT_("Usage:"));
     if (!(con->flags & POPT_CONTEXT_KEEP_FIRST)) {
 /*@-type@*/	/* LCL: wazzup? */
-	fn = con->optionStack->argv[0];
+	fn = con->optionStack ? con->optionStack->argv[0] : NULL;
 /*@=type@*/
 	if (fn == NULL) return len;
 	if (strchr(fn, '/')) fn = strrchr(fn, '/') + 1;
@@ -650,6 +652,8 @@ void poptPrintHelp(poptContext con, FILE * fp, /*@unused@*/ UNUSED(int flags))
     columns_t columns = calloc((size_t)1, sizeof(*columns));
     int xx;
 
+    if (con == NULL) return;
+
     (void) showHelpIntro(con, fp);
     if (con->otherHelp)
 	xx = POPT_fprintf(fp, " %s\n", con->otherHelp);
@@ -787,7 +791,7 @@ static size_t singleTableUsage(poptContext con, FILE * fp, columns_t columns,
 	/*@globals fileSystem @*/
 	/*@modifies fp, columns->cur, done, fileSystem @*/
 {
-    if (opt != NULL)
+    if (con != NULL && opt != NULL)
     for (; (opt->longName || opt->shortName || opt->arg) ; opt++) {
         if (poptArgType(opt) == POPT_ARG_INTL_DOMAIN) {
 	    translation_domain = (const char *)opt->arg;
@@ -872,6 +876,8 @@ void poptPrintUsage(poptContext con, FILE * fp, /*@unused@*/ UNUSED(int flags))
     struct poptDone_s done_buf;
     poptDone done = &done_buf;
 
+    if (con == NULL) return;
+
     memset(done, 0, sizeof(*done));
     done->nopts = 0;
     done->maxopts = 64;
@@ -905,6 +911,8 @@ void poptPrintUsage(poptContext con, FILE * fp, /*@unused@*/ UNUSED(int flags))
 
 void poptSetOtherOptionHelp(poptContext con, const char * text)
 {
+    if (con == NULL) return;
+
     con->otherHelp = _free(con->otherHelp);
     con->otherHelp = xstrdup(text);
 }