diff --git a/src/include/switch_utils.h b/src/include/switch_utils.h
index 7fcb1e8c75..1f65b0ff43 100644
--- a/src/include/switch_utils.h
+++ b/src/include/switch_utils.h
@@ -151,7 +151,11 @@ static inline char *switch_strchr_strict(const char *in, char find, const char *
 #endif
 static inline int switch_string_has_escaped_data(const char *in)
 {
-	const char *i = strchr(in, '\\');
+	const char *i;
+
+	switch_assert(in);
+
+	i = strchr(in, '\\');
 
 	while (i && *i == '\\') {
 		i++;
diff --git a/src/switch_event.c b/src/switch_event.c
index 56ee9e9a9c..b7687c2041 100644
--- a/src/switch_event.c
+++ b/src/switch_event.c
@@ -1565,6 +1565,10 @@ SWITCH_DECLARE(char *) switch_event_expand_headers(switch_event_t *event, const
 	int nv = 0;
 	char *gvar = NULL;
 
+	if (zstr(in)) {
+		return (char *) in;
+	}
+
 	nv = switch_string_var_check_const(in) || switch_string_has_escaped_data(in);
 
 	if (!nv) {