diff --git a/lib/secure-streams/serialized/client/sspc-deserialize.c b/lib/secure-streams/serialized/client/sspc-deserialize.c
index c37d9c2e9..5c990ed8c 100644
--- a/lib/secure-streams/serialized/client/sspc-deserialize.c
+++ b/lib/secure-streams/serialized/client/sspc-deserialize.c
@@ -684,6 +684,9 @@ payload_ff:
 				lwsl_err("%s: OOM\n", __func__);
 				goto hangup;
 			}
+			if (!h)
+				/* coverity */
+				goto hangup;
 			memset(md, 0, sizeof(lws_sspc_metadata_t));
 
 			lws_strncpy(md->name, par->metadata_name,