diff --git a/criu/arch/ppc64/cpu.c b/criu/arch/ppc64/cpu.c
index bb5b7256e..b87230f40 100644
--- a/criu/arch/ppc64/cpu.c
+++ b/criu/arch/ppc64/cpu.c
@@ -64,6 +64,12 @@ int cpu_validate_cpuinfo(void)
 	if (!img)
 		return -1;
 
+	if (empty_image(img)) {
+		pr_err("No cpuinfo image\n");
+		close_image(img);
+		return -1;
+	}
+
 	if (pb_read_one(img, &cpu_info, PB_CPUINFO) < 0)
 		goto error;
 
diff --git a/criu/arch/s390/cpu.c b/criu/arch/s390/cpu.c
index 3f430f455..e227fad5e 100644
--- a/criu/arch/s390/cpu.c
+++ b/criu/arch/s390/cpu.c
@@ -87,6 +87,12 @@ int cpu_validate_cpuinfo(void)
 	if (!img)
 		return -1;
 
+	if (empty_image(img)) {
+		pr_err("No cpuinfo image\n");
+		close_image(img);
+		return -1;
+	}
+
 	ret = 0;
 	if (pb_read_one(img, &cpu_info, PB_CPUINFO) < 0)
 		goto error;
diff --git a/criu/arch/x86/cpu.c b/criu/arch/x86/cpu.c
index dfa31569f..2e1f2de9a 100644
--- a/criu/arch/x86/cpu.c
+++ b/criu/arch/x86/cpu.c
@@ -407,6 +407,12 @@ int cpu_validate_cpuinfo(void)
 	if (!img)
 		return -1;
 
+	if (empty_image(img)) {
+		pr_err("No cpuinfo image\n");
+		close_image(img);
+		return -1;
+	}
+
 	if (pb_read_one(img, &img_cpu_info, PB_CPUINFO) < 0)
 		goto err;