diff --git a/cgminer.c b/cgminer.c
index ece7ce10..ab52e30a 100644
--- a/cgminer.c
+++ b/cgminer.c
@@ -2960,7 +2960,7 @@ static bool gbt_solo_decode(struct pool *pool, json_t *res_val)
        flags = json_string_value(json_object_get(coinbase_aux, "flags"));
        default_witness_commitment = json_string_value(json_object_get(res_val, "default_witness_commitment"));
 
-       if (!previousblockhash || !target || !version || !curtime || !bits || !coinbase_aux || !flags) {
+       if (!previousblockhash || !target || !version || !curtime || !bits) {
                applog(LOG_ERR, "Pool %d JSON failed to decode GBT", pool->pool_no);
                return false;
        }
@@ -3039,10 +3039,12 @@ static bool gbt_solo_decode(struct pool *pool, json_t *res_val)
        ofs += ser_number(pool->scriptsig_base + ofs, height); // max 5
 
        /* Followed by flags */
-       len = strlen(flags) / 2;
-       pool->scriptsig_base[ofs++] = len;
-       hex2bin(pool->scriptsig_base + ofs, flags, len);
-       ofs += len;
+       if (flags) {
+               len = strlen(flags) / 2;
+               pool->scriptsig_base[ofs++] = len;
+               hex2bin(pool->scriptsig_base + ofs, flags, len);
+               ofs += len;
+       }
 
        /* Followed by timestamp */
        cgtime(&now);