diff --git a/libisofs/aaip-os-linux.c b/libisofs/aaip-os-linux.c
index d14e1a8..cf1c306 100644
--- a/libisofs/aaip-os-linux.c
+++ b/libisofs/aaip-os-linux.c
@@ -31,11 +31,13 @@
                         with bit15 of flag.
    @param flag          Bitfield for control purposes
                         bit0=  obtain default ACL rather than access ACL
+                               behave like bit4 if ACL is empty
                         bit4=  set *text = NULL and return 2
                                if the ACL matches st_mode permissions.
                         bit15= free text and return 1
    @return                1 ok
                           2 only st_mode permissions exist and bit 4 is set
+                            or empty ACL and bit0 is set
                          -1 failure of system ACL service (see errno)
 */
 int aaip_get_acl_text(char *path, char **text, int flag)
@@ -65,6 +67,8 @@ int aaip_get_acl_text(char *path, char **text, int flag)
      if(!(ret & (7 | 64)))
        (*text)[0]= 0;
    }
+ }
+ if(flag & (1 | 16)) {
    if((*text)[0] == 0 || strcmp(*text, "\n") == 0) {
      acl_free(text);
      *text= NULL;
diff --git a/libisofs/fs_local.c b/libisofs/fs_local.c
index dad77ef..f82bd82 100644
--- a/libisofs/fs_local.c
+++ b/libisofs/fs_local.c
@@ -509,11 +509,15 @@ int lfs_get_aa_string(IsoFileSource *src, unsigned char **aa_string, int flag)
         ret = ISO_FILE_ERROR;
         goto ex;
     }
-    sret = aaip_encode("AA", num_attrs, names,
-                       value_lengths, values, &result_len, &result, 0);
-    if (sret == 0) {
-        ret = ISO_OUT_OF_MEM;
-        goto ex;
+    if (num_attrs == 0)
+        result = NULL;
+    else {
+        sret = aaip_encode("AA", num_attrs, names,
+                           value_lengths, values, &result_len, &result, 0);
+        if (sret == 0) {
+            ret = ISO_OUT_OF_MEM;
+            goto ex;
+         }
     }
     *aa_string = result;
     ret = 1;