diff --git a/libs/esl/src/cJSON.c b/libs/esl/src/cJSON.c
index 7f9ecb3b4c..c804b8a476 100644
--- a/libs/esl/src/cJSON.c
+++ b/libs/esl/src/cJSON.c
@@ -92,18 +92,14 @@ static unsigned char* cJSON_strdup(const unsigned char* str, const internal_hook
 {
     size_t len = 0;
     unsigned char *copy = NULL;
+	const unsigned char *s = str ? str : (unsigned char *)"";
 
-    if (str == NULL)
-    {
-        return NULL;
-    }
-
-    len = strlen((const char*)str) + 1;
+    len = strlen((const char*)s) + 1;
     if (!(copy = (unsigned char*)hooks->allocate(len)))
     {
         return NULL;
     }
-    memcpy(copy, str, len);
+    memcpy(copy, s, len);
 
     return copy;
 }
diff --git a/libs/libks/src/cJSON.c b/libs/libks/src/cJSON.c
index b5c2ef0100..2c95812104 100644
--- a/libs/libks/src/cJSON.c
+++ b/libs/libks/src/cJSON.c
@@ -92,18 +92,14 @@ static unsigned char* cJSON_strdup(const unsigned char* str, const internal_hook
 {
     size_t len = 0;
     unsigned char *copy = NULL;
+	const unsigned char *s = str ? str : (unsigned char *)"";
 
-    if (str == NULL)
-    {
-        return NULL;
-    }
-
-    len = strlen((const char*)str) + 1;
+    len = strlen((const char*)s) + 1;
     if (!(copy = (unsigned char*)hooks->allocate(len)))
     {
         return NULL;
     }
-    memcpy(copy, str, len);
+    memcpy(copy, s, len);
 
     return copy;
 }
diff --git a/src/cJSON.c b/src/cJSON.c
index cb1f9971a2..85709f1e3b 100644
--- a/src/cJSON.c
+++ b/src/cJSON.c
@@ -92,18 +92,14 @@ static unsigned char* cJSON_strdup(const unsigned char* str, const internal_hook
 {
     size_t len = 0;
     unsigned char *copy = NULL;
+	const unsigned char *s = str ? str : (unsigned char *)"";
 
-    if (str == NULL)
-    {
-        return NULL;
-    }
-
-    len = strlen((const char*)str) + 1;
+    len = strlen((const char*)s) + 1;
     if (!(copy = (unsigned char*)hooks->allocate(len)))
     {
         return NULL;
     }
-    memcpy(copy, str, len);
+    memcpy(copy, s, len);
 
     return copy;
 }