diff --git a/src/misc/pem/pem_pkcs.c b/src/misc/pem/pem_pkcs.c
index 6a6d4e45..5f016e0b 100644
--- a/src/misc/pem/pem_pkcs.c
+++ b/src/misc/pem/pem_pkcs.c
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ static int s_import_pkcs8(unsigned char *asn1_cert, unsigned long asn1_len, ltc_
 {
    int err;
    enum ltc_oid_id oid_id;
-   ltc_asn1_list *alg_id, *priv_key;
+   ltc_asn1_list *alg_id = NULL, *priv_key = NULL;
    ltc_asn1_list *p8_asn1 = NULL;
    if ((err = pkcs8_decode_flexi(asn1_cert, asn1_len, pw_ctx, &p8_asn1)) != CRYPT_OK) {
       goto cleanup;
diff --git a/src/pk/asn1/pkcs8/pkcs8_get.c b/src/pk/asn1/pkcs8/pkcs8_get.c
index 015d1e7f..9dc34ab3 100644
--- a/src/pk/asn1/pkcs8/pkcs8_get.c
+++ b/src/pk/asn1/pkcs8/pkcs8_get.c
@@ -14,11 +14,16 @@ int pkcs8_get_children(const ltc_asn1_list *decoded_list, enum ltc_oid_id *pka,
    int err;
    unsigned long n;
    der_flexi_check flexi_should[4];
-   ltc_asn1_list *seq_l, *version;
+   ltc_asn1_list *seq_l = NULL, *priv_l = NULL, *version = NULL;
 
    LTC_ARGCHK(ltc_mp.name != NULL);
 
    if (alg_id == NULL) alg_id = &seq_l;
+   if (priv_key == NULL) priv_key = &priv_l;
+
+   /* der_flexi_sequence_cmp() writes only matched outputs, so unmatched ones stay NULL */
+   *alg_id = NULL;
+   *priv_key = NULL;
 
    /* Setup for basic structure */
    n=0;
@@ -35,6 +40,9 @@ int pkcs8_get_children(const ltc_asn1_list *decoded_list, enum ltc_oid_id *pka,
           * we get an 'input too long' error but the rest is already decoded and can be
           * handled the same as for version 0
           */
+         if (version == NULL) {
+            return CRYPT_INVALID_PACKET;
+         }
          if (ltc_mp_cmp_d(version->data, 0) != LTC_MP_EQ && ltc_mp_cmp_d(version->data, 1) != LTC_MP_EQ) {
             return CRYPT_INVALID_PACKET;
          }
@@ -42,6 +50,9 @@ int pkcs8_get_children(const ltc_asn1_list *decoded_list, enum ltc_oid_id *pka,
       default:
          return err;
    }
+   if ((*alg_id == NULL) || ((*alg_id)->child == NULL) || (*priv_key == NULL)) {
+      return CRYPT_INVALID_PACKET;
+   }
    return pk_get_oid_from_asn1((*alg_id)->child, pka);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/pk/dh/dh_import_pkcs8.c b/src/pk/dh/dh_import_pkcs8.c
index d1fd792b..2962bb1d 100644
--- a/src/pk/dh/dh_import_pkcs8.c
+++ b/src/pk/dh/dh_import_pkcs8.c
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ int dh_import_pkcs8(const unsigned char *in, unsigned long inlen,
 {
    int           err;
    ltc_asn1_list *l = NULL;
-   ltc_asn1_list *alg_id, *priv_key;
+   ltc_asn1_list *alg_id = NULL, *priv_key = NULL;
    enum ltc_oid_id pka;
 
    LTC_ARGCHK(in != NULL);
diff --git a/src/pk/dsa/dsa_import_pkcs8.c b/src/pk/dsa/dsa_import_pkcs8.c
index b3bc9c95..974631ea 100644
--- a/src/pk/dsa/dsa_import_pkcs8.c
+++ b/src/pk/dsa/dsa_import_pkcs8.c
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ int dsa_import_pkcs8(const unsigned char *in, unsigned long inlen,
 {
    int           err;
    ltc_asn1_list *l = NULL;
-   ltc_asn1_list *alg_id, *priv_key;
+   ltc_asn1_list *alg_id = NULL, *priv_key = NULL;
    enum ltc_oid_id pka;
 
    LTC_ARGCHK(in != NULL);
diff --git a/src/pk/ec25519/ec25519_import_pkcs8.c b/src/pk/ec25519/ec25519_import_pkcs8.c
index 4a7f9fb9..9f9a6bcb 100644
--- a/src/pk/ec25519/ec25519_import_pkcs8.c
+++ b/src/pk/ec25519/ec25519_import_pkcs8.c
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ int ec25519_import_pkcs8(const unsigned char *in, unsigned long inlen,
 {
    int           err;
    ltc_asn1_list *l = NULL;
-   ltc_asn1_list *alg_id, *priv_key;
+   ltc_asn1_list *alg_id = NULL, *priv_key = NULL;
    enum ltc_oid_id pka;
 
    LTC_ARGCHK(in != NULL);
diff --git a/src/pk/ec448/ec448_import_pkcs8.c b/src/pk/ec448/ec448_import_pkcs8.c
index 0de08347..37ffba3b 100644
--- a/src/pk/ec448/ec448_import_pkcs8.c
+++ b/src/pk/ec448/ec448_import_pkcs8.c
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ int ec448_import_pkcs8(const unsigned char *in, unsigned long inlen,
 {
    int           err;
    ltc_asn1_list *l = NULL;
-   ltc_asn1_list *alg_id, *priv_key;
+   ltc_asn1_list *alg_id = NULL, *priv_key = NULL;
    enum ltc_oid_id pka;
 
    LTC_ARGCHK(in != NULL);
diff --git a/src/pk/ecc/ecc_import_pkcs8.c b/src/pk/ecc/ecc_import_pkcs8.c
index 9df67890..ad32fa07 100644
--- a/src/pk/ecc/ecc_import_pkcs8.c
+++ b/src/pk/ecc/ecc_import_pkcs8.c
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ int ecc_import_pkcs8(const unsigned char *in, unsigned long inlen,
 {
    int           err;
    ltc_asn1_list *l = NULL;
-   ltc_asn1_list *alg_id, *priv_key;
+   ltc_asn1_list *alg_id = NULL, *priv_key = NULL;
    enum ltc_oid_id pka;
 
    LTC_ARGCHK(key         != NULL);
diff --git a/src/pk/rsa/rsa_import_pkcs8.c b/src/pk/rsa/rsa_import_pkcs8.c
index 0a4570c0..406772e0 100644
--- a/src/pk/rsa/rsa_import_pkcs8.c
+++ b/src/pk/rsa/rsa_import_pkcs8.c
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ int rsa_import_pkcs8(const unsigned char *in, unsigned long inlen,
 {
    int           err;
    ltc_asn1_list *l = NULL;
-   ltc_asn1_list *alg_id, *priv_key;
+   ltc_asn1_list *alg_id = NULL, *priv_key = NULL;
    enum ltc_oid_id pka;
 
    LTC_ARGCHK(in != NULL);