diff --git a/src/helper/geom.cpp b/src/helper/geom.cpp
index 3b67d4ea6179f4bf2c1b081f7f3dcc5d05e19a96..6756391275fd392c2e744fc669ac2a8bba669be3 100644
--- a/src/helper/geom.cpp
+++ b/src/helper/geom.cpp
@@ -765,6 +765,12 @@ count_pathvector_degenerations(Geom::PathVector const &pathv) {
 
 size_t count_path_degenerations(Geom::Path const &path)
 {
+    if (path.empty()) {
+        std::cerr << "count_path_degenerates: path is empty!" << std::endl;
+        // Hmm, a path always contains a closing segment which has two nodes which are degenerate if path is empty.
+        return 0;
+    }
+
     size_t tot = 0;
     Geom::Path::const_iterator curve_it = path.begin();
     Geom::Path::const_iterator curve_endit = path.end_default();
@@ -791,6 +797,12 @@ size_t count_path_degenerations(Geom::Path const &path)
 
 size_t count_path_nodes(Geom::Path const &path)
 {
+    if (path.empty()) {
+        std::cerr << "count_path_nodes: path is empty!" << std::endl;
+        // Hmm, a path always contains a closing segment which has two (degenerate) nodes...
+        return 0;
+    }
+
     size_t tot = path.size_default() + 1; // if degenerate closing line one is erased no need to duple
     if (path.closed()) {
         tot -= 1;
@@ -810,6 +822,11 @@ size_t count_path_nodes(Geom::Path const &path)
 
 size_t count_path_curves(Geom::Path const &path)
 {
+    if (path.empty()) {
+        std::cerr << "count_path_curves: path is empty!" << std::endl;
+        return 0;
+    }
+
     size_t tot = path.size_default(); // if degenerate closing line one is erased no need to duple
     if (path.closed()) {
         auto const &closingline = path.back_closed();
diff --git a/src/live_effects/lpe-powerstroke.cpp b/src/live_effects/lpe-powerstroke.cpp
index 70d49d48d4be3265d57ff389172566fe2e2bf2c8..d09145907f233485926466c82a488e921793c7b4 100644
--- a/src/live_effects/lpe-powerstroke.cpp
+++ b/src/live_effects/lpe-powerstroke.cpp
@@ -628,6 +628,10 @@ LPEPowerStroke::doEffect_path (Geom::PathVector const & path_in)
     offset_points.set_pwd2(pwd2_in , n);
     size_t pathindex = 0;
     for (auto path : pathv) {
+        if (path.empty()) {
+            std::cerr << "LPEPowerStroke::doEffect_path: empty sub-path!" << std::endl;
+            continue;
+        }
         size_t psize = count_pathvector_curves(path);
         path_init += psize;
         if (!offset_points.unplaced &&