diff --git a/stb_vorbis.c b/stb_vorbis.c
index ab77bc0..46f5370 100644
--- a/stb_vorbis.c
+++ b/stb_vorbis.c
@@ -3643,8 +3643,10 @@ static int start_decoder(vorb *f)
    f->vendor[len] = (char)'\0';
    //user comments
    f->comment_list_length = get32_packet(f);
-   f->comment_list = (char**)setup_malloc(f, sizeof(char*) * (f->comment_list_length));
-   if (f->comment_list == NULL && f->comment_list_length > 0)       return error(f, VORBIS_outofmem);
+   f->comment_list = NULL;
+   if (f->comment_list_length > 0)
+       f->comment_list = (char**) setup_malloc(f, sizeof(char*) * (f->comment_list_length));
+   if (f->comment_list == NULL)                     return error(f, VORBIS_outofmem);
 
    for(i=0; i < f->comment_list_length; ++i) {
       len = get32_packet(f);