diff --git a/src/xen/xend_internal.c b/src/xen/xend_internal.c
index c4e73b7344..950f1b5f10 100644
--- a/src/xen/xend_internal.c
+++ b/src/xen/xend_internal.c
@@ -1284,6 +1284,7 @@ xend_parse_sexp_desc_char(virBufferPtr buf,
         virBufferVSprintf(buf, "      <source path='%s'/>\n",
                           value);
     } else if (STREQ(type, "tcp")) {
+        sa_assert (value);
         const char *offset = strchr(value, ':');
         const char *offset2;
         const char *mode, *protocol;
@@ -1325,6 +1326,7 @@ xend_parse_sexp_desc_char(virBufferPtr buf,
                           "      <protocol type='%s'/>\n",
                           protocol);
     } else if (STREQ(type, "udp")) {
+        sa_assert (value);
         const char *offset = strchr(value, ':');
         const char *offset2, *offset3;
 
@@ -1383,6 +1385,7 @@ xend_parse_sexp_desc_char(virBufferPtr buf,
         }
 
     } else if (STREQ(type, "unix")) {
+        sa_assert (value);
         const char *offset = strchr(value, ',');
         int dolisten = 0;
         if (offset)