diff --git a/src/modules/systemlib/param/param.c b/src/modules/systemlib/param/param.c
index 726d9f457d..9eb93e7035 100644
--- a/src/modules/systemlib/param/param.c
+++ b/src/modules/systemlib/param/param.c
@@ -531,7 +531,7 @@ param_get(param_t param, void *val)
 
 	const void *v = param_get_value_ptr(param);
 
-	if (val != NULL) {
+	if (val && v) {
 		memcpy(val, v, param_size(param));
 		result = 0;
 	}
diff --git a/src/modules/systemlib/param/param_shmem.c b/src/modules/systemlib/param/param_shmem.c
index d6a42fbe29..629f0465e7 100644
--- a/src/modules/systemlib/param/param_shmem.c
+++ b/src/modules/systemlib/param/param_shmem.c
@@ -548,7 +548,7 @@ param_get(param_t param, void *val)
 
 	const void *v = param_get_value_ptr(param);
 
-	if (val != NULL) {
+	if (val && v) {
 		memcpy(val, v, param_size(param));
 		result = 0;
 	}