diff --git a/bgpd/bgp_debug.c b/bgpd/bgp_debug.c
index 0ff8bdcbbe0a..35f83062de27 100644
--- a/bgpd/bgp_debug.c
+++ b/bgpd/bgp_debug.c
@@ -500,12 +500,13 @@ const char *bgp_notify_subcode_str(char code, char subcode)
 const char *bgp_notify_admin_message(char *buf, size_t bufsz, uint8_t *data,
 				     size_t datalen)
 {
+	memset(buf, 0, bufsz);
 	if (!data || datalen < 1)
-		return NULL;
+		return buf;
 
 	uint8_t len = data[0];
 	if (!len || len > datalen - 1)
-		return NULL;
+		return buf;
 
 	return zlog_sanitize(buf, bufsz, data + 1, len);
 }
diff --git a/bgpd/bgp_vty.c b/bgpd/bgp_vty.c
index 08c14df1fec8..9b4d8936828a 100644
--- a/bgpd/bgp_vty.c
+++ b/bgpd/bgp_vty.c
@@ -11310,11 +11310,9 @@ static void bgp_show_peer_reset(struct vty * vty, struct peer *peer,
 					     msgbuf, sizeof(msgbuf),
 					     (uint8_t *)peer->notify.data,
 					     peer->notify.length);
-				if (msg_str)
-					json_object_string_add(
-					   json_peer,
-					   "lastShutdownDescription",
-					   msg_str);
+				json_object_string_add(json_peer,
+				   "lastShutdownDescription",
+				   msg_str);
 			}
 
 		}