diff --git a/libc/stdlib/getenv.cpp b/libc/stdlib/getenv.cpp
index 1b489199..1e621462 100644
--- a/libc/stdlib/getenv.cpp
+++ b/libc/stdlib/getenv.cpp
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ extern "C" char* getenv(const char* name)
 	if ( !name )
 		return errno = EINVAL, (char*) NULL;
 
+	if ( !name[0] )
+		return errno = EINVAL, (char*) NULL;
+
 	// Verify the name doesn't contain a '=' character.
 	size_t name_length = 0;
 	while ( name[name_length] )
diff --git a/libc/stdlib/setenv.cpp b/libc/stdlib/setenv.cpp
index 2fad106b..335abdbb 100644
--- a/libc/stdlib/setenv.cpp
+++ b/libc/stdlib/setenv.cpp
@@ -117,6 +117,9 @@ extern "C" int setenv(const char* name, const char* value, int overwrite)
 	if ( !name || !value )
 		return errno = EINVAL, -1;
 
+	if ( !name[0] )
+		return errno = EINVAL, -1;
+
 	// Verify the name doesn't contain a '=' character.
 	size_t name_length = 0;
 	while ( name[name_length] )
diff --git a/libc/stdlib/unsetenv.cpp b/libc/stdlib/unsetenv.cpp
index 9395feaa..243594ff 100644
--- a/libc/stdlib/unsetenv.cpp
+++ b/libc/stdlib/unsetenv.cpp
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ extern "C" int unsetenv(const char* name)
 	if ( !name )
 		return errno = EINVAL, -1;
 
+	if ( !name[0] )
+		return errno = EINVAL, -1;
+
 	// Verify the name doesn't contain a '=' character.
 	size_t name_length = 0;
 	while ( name[name_length] )