diff --git a/lib/libsecureboot/vets.c b/lib/libsecureboot/vets.c
--- a/lib/libsecureboot/vets.c
+++ b/lib/libsecureboot/vets.c
@@ -420,6 +420,10 @@
 #endif
 
 #ifdef TRUST_ANCHOR_STR
+	if (TRUST_ANCHOR_STR == NULL || strlen(TRUST_ANCHOR_STR) == 0ul) {
+		once = 0;
+		return (once);
+	}
 	ve_trust_anchors_add_buf(__DECONST(unsigned char *, TRUST_ANCHOR_STR),
 	    sizeof(TRUST_ANCHOR_STR));
 #endif