diff --git a/src/swmod_lxc.c b/src/swmod_lxc.c
index 589adc07931869f4e0190f8b8b5447a665bcf51e..2419c15efcaeb6f20660e857375eed7fcec9358c 100644
--- a/src/swmod_lxc.c
+++ b/src/swmod_lxc.c
@@ -257,6 +257,11 @@ void populate_lxc_environment(void)
 	int i, lxc_nbr;
 
 	lxc_nbr = list_all_containers(lxcpath, NULL, &clist);
+	if (clist == NULL || lxc_nbr == 0) {
+		PRINT_INFO("Empty container list, return");
+		return;
+	}
+
 	for (i = 0; i < lxc_nbr && i < (MAX_ENV - LXC_START_INDEX); i++) {
 		struct lxc_container *ct = clist[i];
 		bool ct_running = ct->is_running(ct);