diff --git a/src/modules/module-client-node/client-node.c b/src/modules/module-client-node/client-node.c
index cb6f7c851..b8a8aa333 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-client-node/client-node.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-client-node/client-node.c
@@ -523,7 +523,7 @@ do_update_port(struct node *this,
 		port->params = realloc(port->params, port->n_params * sizeof(struct spa_pod *));
 
 		for (i = 0; i < port->n_params; i++) {
-			port->params[i] = pw_spa_pod_copy(params[i]);
+			port->params[i] = params[i] ? pw_spa_pod_copy(params[i]) : NULL;
 
 			if (spa_pod_is_object_id(port->params[i], SPA_PARAM_Format))
 				port->have_format = true;
@@ -1028,7 +1028,7 @@ client_node_update(void *data,
 		this->params = realloc(this->params, this->n_params * sizeof(struct spa_pod *));
 
 		for (i = 0; i < this->n_params; i++)
-			this->params[i] = pw_spa_pod_copy(params[i]);
+			this->params[i] = params[i] ? pw_spa_pod_copy(params[i]) : NULL;
 	}
 	if (change_mask & PW_CLIENT_NODE_UPDATE_PROPS) {
 		pw_node_update_properties(impl->this.node, props);
diff --git a/src/pipewire/introspect.c b/src/pipewire/introspect.c
index 9e0ad7dc5..a688d45f5 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/introspect.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/introspect.c
@@ -423,7 +423,7 @@ struct pw_link_info *pw_link_info_update(struct pw_link_info *info,
 	}
 	if (update->change_mask & PW_LINK_CHANGE_MASK_FORMAT) {
 		free(info->format);
-		info->format = pw_spa_pod_copy(update->format);
+		info->format = update->format ? pw_spa_pod_copy(update->format) : NULL;
 	}
 	if (update->change_mask & PW_LINK_CHANGE_MASK_PROPS) {
 		if (info->props)
diff --git a/src/pipewire/stream.c b/src/pipewire/stream.c
index 07a9aebcc..9fefa0f6c 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/stream.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/stream.c
@@ -140,13 +140,18 @@ static struct param *add_param(struct pw_stream *stream,
 {
 	struct stream *impl = SPA_CONTAINER_OF(stream, struct stream, this);
 	struct param *p;
+	struct spa_pod *copy = NULL;
 
-	p = pw_array_add(&impl->params, sizeof(struct param));
-	if (p == NULL)
+	if (param != NULL && (copy = pw_spa_pod_copy(param)) == NULL)
 		return NULL;
 
+	p = pw_array_add(&impl->params, sizeof(struct param));
+	if (p == NULL) {
+		free(copy);
+		return NULL;
+	}
 	p->type = type;
-	p->param = pw_spa_pod_copy(param);
+	p->param = copy;
 	return p;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/pipewire/utils.h b/src/pipewire/utils.h
index 8e7f875df..fe17d3dce 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/utils.h
+++ b/src/pipewire/utils.h
@@ -59,9 +59,6 @@ pw_spa_pod_copy(const struct spa_pod *pod)
 	size_t size;
 	struct spa_pod *c;
 
-	if (pod == NULL)
-		return NULL;
-
 	size = SPA_POD_SIZE(pod);
 	if ((c = (struct spa_pod *) malloc(size)) == NULL)
 		return NULL;