diff --git a/lib/krb5/rd_safe.c b/lib/krb5/rd_safe.c
index 90594c62a..0633997fa 100644
--- a/lib/krb5/rd_safe.c
+++ b/lib/krb5/rd_safe.c
@@ -93,8 +93,8 @@ krb5_rd_safe(krb5_context context,
     KRB_SAFE safe;
     size_t len;
 
-    if (outdata)
-	krb5_data_zero(outdata);
+    if (outbuf)
+	krb5_data_zero(outbuf);
 
     if ((auth_context->flags & 
 	 (KRB5_AUTH_CONTEXT_RET_TIME | KRB5_AUTH_CONTEXT_RET_SEQUENCE)) &&
@@ -184,13 +184,13 @@ krb5_rd_safe(krb5_context context,
     if (ret)
 	goto failure;
   
-    outbuf->length = safe.safe_body.user_data.length;
     outbuf->data   = malloc(outbuf->length);
-    if (outbuf->data == NULL) {
+    if (outbuf->data == NULL && outbuf->length != 0) {
 	ret = ENOMEM;
 	krb5_set_error_string (context, "malloc: out of memory");
 	goto failure;
     }
+    outbuf->length = safe.safe_body.user_data.length;
     memcpy (outbuf->data, safe.safe_body.user_data.data, outbuf->length);
 
     if ((auth_context->flags &