diff --git a/src/auth.c b/src/auth.c
index 5ad7e29..c60512b 100644
--- a/src/auth.c
+++ b/src/auth.c
@@ -667,6 +667,10 @@ static void _auth(xmpp_conn_t *const conn)
         xmpp_error(conn->ctx, "auth",
                    "No node in JID, and SASL ANONYMOUS unsupported.");
         xmpp_disconnect(conn);
+    } else if (conn->pass == NULL) {
+        xmpp_error(conn->ctx, "auth",
+                   "Password hasn't been set, and SASL ANONYMOUS unsupported.");
+        xmpp_disconnect(conn);
     } else if (conn->sasl_support & SASL_MASK_SCRAM) {
         scram_ctx = xmpp_alloc(conn->ctx, sizeof(*scram_ctx));
         if (conn->sasl_support & SASL_MASK_SCRAMSHA512)
diff --git a/src/conn.c b/src/conn.c
index 9c145bf..e6b4411 100644
--- a/src/conn.c
+++ b/src/conn.c
@@ -420,7 +420,7 @@ void xmpp_conn_set_pass(xmpp_conn_t *const conn, const char *const pass)
 {
     if (conn->pass)
         xmpp_free(conn->ctx, conn->pass);
-    conn->pass = xmpp_strdup(conn->ctx, pass);
+    conn->pass = pass ? xmpp_strdup(conn->ctx, pass) : NULL;
 }
 
 /** Get the strophe context that the connection is associated with.