diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 6bdf73cca8..2129960e1d 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -1038,7 +1038,7 @@ libexec_PROGRAMS += libvirt_parthelper
 libvirt_parthelper_SOURCES = $(STORAGE_HELPER_DISK_SOURCES)
 libvirt_parthelper_LDFLAGS = $(WARN_LDFLAGS) $(COVERAGE_LDFLAGS)
 libvirt_parthelper_LDADD = $(LIBPARTED_LIBS)
-libvirt_parthelper_CFLAGS =  $(LIBPARTED_CFLAGS)
+libvirt_parthelper_CFLAGS = $(LIBPARTED_CFLAGS) ../gnulib/lib/libgnu.la
 endif
 endif
 EXTRA_DIST += $(STORAGE_HELPER_DISK_SOURCES)
diff --git a/src/storage/parthelper.c b/src/storage/parthelper.c
index 28d88c91e9..ca74456b76 100644
--- a/src/storage/parthelper.c
+++ b/src/storage/parthelper.c
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     }
 
     path = argv[1];
-    partsep = c_isdigit(path[strlen(path)-1]) ? "p" : "";
+    partsep = *path && c_isdigit(path[strlen(path)-1]) ? "p" : "";
 
     if ((dev = ped_device_get(path)) == NULL) {
         fprintf(stderr, "unable to access device %s\n", path);