diff --git a/src/core/special-vars.c b/src/core/special-vars.c
index 4b1f535b..2556cd63 100644
--- a/src/core/special-vars.c
+++ b/src/core/special-vars.c
@@ -362,6 +362,8 @@ char *parse_special(char **cmd, SERVER_REC *server, void *item,
 	int brackets, nest_free;
 
 	*free_ret = FALSE;
+	if (**cmd == '\0')
+		return NULL;
 
 	command = **cmd; (*cmd)++;
 	switch (command) {
diff --git a/src/fe-common/core/themes.c b/src/fe-common/core/themes.c
index f1b871b2..514dd377 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/core/themes.c
+++ b/src/fe-common/core/themes.c
@@ -146,7 +146,9 @@ static void theme_format_append_variable(GString *str, const char **format)
 	value = parse_special((char **) format, NULL, NULL,
 			      args, &free_ret, NULL, PARSE_FLAG_ONLY_ARGS);
 	if (free_ret) g_free(value);
-	(*format)++;
+
+	if (**format != '\0')
+		(*format)++;
 
 	/* append the variable name */
 	value = g_strndup(orig, (int) (*format-orig));