diff --git a/mozilla/security/manager/ssl/src/nsNSSCertificateDB.cpp b/mozilla/security/manager/ssl/src/nsNSSCertificateDB.cpp
index 2f80c605448..fe36bb6001f 100644
--- a/mozilla/security/manager/ssl/src/nsNSSCertificateDB.cpp
+++ b/mozilla/security/manager/ssl/src/nsNSSCertificateDB.cpp
@@ -140,11 +140,15 @@ nsNSSCertificateDB::FindCertByDBKey(const char *aDBkey, nsISupports *aToken,
   CERTIssuerAndSN issuerSN;
   unsigned long moduleID,slotID;
   *_cert = nsnull; 
-  if (!aDBkey) return NS_ERROR_FAILURE;
+  if (!aDBkey || !*aDBkey)
+    return NS_ERROR_FAILURE;
+
   dummy = NSSBase64_DecodeBuffer(nsnull, &keyItem, aDBkey,
                                  (PRUint32)PL_strlen(aDBkey)); 
-  CERTCertificate *cert;
+  if (!dummy)
+    return NS_ERROR_FAILURE;
 
+  CERTCertificate *cert;
   // someday maybe we can speed up the search using the moduleID and slotID
   moduleID = NS_NSS_GET_LONG(keyItem.data);
   slotID = NS_NSS_GET_LONG(&keyItem.data[NS_NSS_LONG]);