diff --git a/src/archive/ArchiveList.cxx b/src/archive/ArchiveList.cxx
index 5c1344a0a..25a4a72f9 100644
--- a/src/archive/ArchiveList.cxx
+++ b/src/archive/ArchiveList.cxx
@@ -43,8 +43,12 @@ const ArchivePlugin *const archive_plugins[] = {
 	nullptr
 };
 
+static constexpr std::size_t n_archive_plugins = std::size(archive_plugins) - 1;
+
 /** which plugins have been initialized successfully? */
-static bool archive_plugins_enabled[std::size(archive_plugins) - 1];
+/* the std::max() is just here to avoid a zero-sized array, which is
+   forbidden in C++ */
+static bool archive_plugins_enabled[std::max(n_archive_plugins, std::size_t(1))];
 
 #define archive_plugins_for_each_enabled(plugin) \
 	archive_plugins_for_each(plugin) \
diff --git a/src/input/Registry.cxx b/src/input/Registry.cxx
index 6fd2fe424..f5a37f2a1 100644
--- a/src/input/Registry.cxx
+++ b/src/input/Registry.cxx
@@ -83,7 +83,11 @@ const InputPlugin *const input_plugins[] = {
 	nullptr
 };
 
-bool input_plugins_enabled[std::size(input_plugins) - 1];
+static constexpr std::size_t n_input_plugins = std::size(input_plugins) - 1;
+
+/* the std::max() is just here to avoid a zero-sized array, which is
+   forbidden in C++ */
+bool input_plugins_enabled[std::max(n_input_plugins, std::size_t(1))];
 
 bool
 HasRemoteTagScanner(const char *uri) noexcept