diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-message.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-message.c
index 55e35cd902..f966dda229 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-message.c
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-message.c
@@ -4795,8 +4795,13 @@ _public_ int sd_bus_message_read_array(
         assert_return(!BUS_MESSAGE_NEED_BSWAP(m), -EOPNOTSUPP);
 
         r = sd_bus_message_enter_container(m, SD_BUS_TYPE_ARRAY, CHAR_TO_STR(type));
-        if (r <= 0)
+        if (r < 0)
                 return r;
+        if (r == 0) {
+                *ptr = NULL;
+                *size = 0;
+                return 0;
+        }
 
         c = message_get_last_container(m);