diff --git a/spa/include/spa/pod/parser.h b/spa/include/spa/pod/parser.h
index 9c128f26a..f049af006 100644
--- a/spa/include/spa/pod/parser.h
+++ b/spa/include/spa/pod/parser.h
@@ -80,8 +80,13 @@ spa_pod_parser_deref(struct spa_pod_parser *parser, uint32_t offset, uint32_t si
 		 * to the next multiple of 8) is in bounds.
 		 */
 		if (SPA_IS_ALIGNED(pod, SPA_POD_ALIGN) &&
-		    long_offset + SPA_ROUND_UP_N((uint64_t)SPA_POD_BODY_SIZE(pod), SPA_POD_ALIGN) <= size)
-			return (struct spa_pod *)pod;
+		    long_offset + SPA_ROUND_UP_N((uint64_t)SPA_POD_BODY_SIZE(pod), SPA_POD_ALIGN) <= size) {
+			uint64_t zero = 0;
+			size_t padding = SPA_POD_BODY_SIZE(pod) & 7;
+			if (padding == 0 ||
+			    memcmp(SPA_PTROFF(pod, SPA_POD_SIZE(pod), void), &zero, 8 - padding) == 0)
+				return (struct spa_pod *)pod;
+		}
 	}
 	return NULL;
 }