diff --git a/code/AssetLib/3DS/3DSConverter.cpp b/code/AssetLib/3DS/3DSConverter.cpp
index 7d1c24cd6..50600ba10 100644
--- a/code/AssetLib/3DS/3DSConverter.cpp
+++ b/code/AssetLib/3DS/3DSConverter.cpp
@@ -643,11 +643,17 @@ void Discreet3DSImporter::AddNodeToGraph(aiScene *pcSOut, aiNode *pcOut,
     }
 
     // Allocate storage for children
-    pcOut->mNumChildren = (unsigned int)pcIn->mChildren.size();
+    const unsigned int size = static_cast<unsigned int>(pcIn->mChildren.size());
+
+    pcOut->mNumChildren = size;
+    if (size == 0) {
+        return;
+    }
+
     pcOut->mChildren = new aiNode *[pcIn->mChildren.size()];
 
     // Recursively process all children
-    const unsigned int size = static_cast<unsigned int>(pcIn->mChildren.size());
+    
     for (unsigned int i = 0; i < size; ++i) {
         pcOut->mChildren[i] = new aiNode();
         pcOut->mChildren[i]->mParent = pcOut;
diff --git a/code/AssetLib/COB/COBLoader.cpp b/code/AssetLib/COB/COBLoader.cpp
index f0899bddd..6c85edfc9 100644
--- a/code/AssetLib/COB/COBLoader.cpp
+++ b/code/AssetLib/COB/COBLoader.cpp
@@ -372,9 +372,11 @@ aiNode *COBImporter::BuildNodes(const Node &root, const Scene &scin, aiScene *fi
     }
 
     // add children recursively
-    nd->mChildren = new aiNode *[root.temp_children.size()]();
-    for (const Node *n : root.temp_children) {
-        (nd->mChildren[nd->mNumChildren++] = BuildNodes(*n, scin, fill))->mParent = nd;
+    if (!root.temp_children.empty()) {
+        nd->mChildren = new aiNode *[root.temp_children.size()]();
+        for (const Node *n : root.temp_children) {
+            (nd->mChildren[nd->mNumChildren++] = BuildNodes(*n, scin, fill))->mParent = nd;
+        }
     }
 
     return nd;
diff --git a/code/AssetLib/FBX/FBXConverter.cpp b/code/AssetLib/FBX/FBXConverter.cpp
index fd54c63f4..d9718685d 100644
--- a/code/AssetLib/FBX/FBXConverter.cpp
+++ b/code/AssetLib/FBX/FBXConverter.cpp
@@ -357,12 +357,12 @@ void FBXConverter::ConvertNodes(uint64_t id, aiNode *parent, aiNode *root_node)
     if (nodes.empty()) {
         parent->mNumChildren = 0;
         parent->mChildren = nullptr;
-    }
-
-    parent->mChildren = new aiNode *[nodes.size()]();
-    parent->mNumChildren = static_cast<unsigned int>(nodes.size());
-    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < nodes.size(); ++i) {
-        parent->mChildren[i] = nodes[i].mOwnership.release();
+    } else {
+        parent->mChildren = new aiNode *[nodes.size()]();
+        parent->mNumChildren = static_cast<unsigned int>(nodes.size());
+        for (unsigned int i = 0; i < nodes.size(); ++i) {
+            parent->mChildren[i] = nodes[i].mOwnership.release();
+        }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/code/AssetLib/SMD/SMDLoader.cpp b/code/AssetLib/SMD/SMDLoader.cpp
index 1eac5d934..5d7c8f94a 100644
--- a/code/AssetLib/SMD/SMDLoader.cpp
+++ b/code/AssetLib/SMD/SMDLoader.cpp
@@ -400,8 +400,12 @@ void SMDImporter::AddBoneChildren(aiNode* pcNode, uint32_t iParent) {
         }
     }
 
+    // nothing to do
+    if (pcNode->mNumChildren == 0)
+        return;
+
     // now allocate the output array
-    pcNode->mChildren = new aiNode*[pcNode->mNumChildren];
+    pcNode->mChildren = new aiNode *[pcNode->mNumChildren];
 
     // and fill all subnodes
     unsigned int qq( 0 );
diff --git a/code/PostProcessing/ValidateDataStructure.cpp b/code/PostProcessing/ValidateDataStructure.cpp
index 8441b48be..bd62e6c90 100644
--- a/code/PostProcessing/ValidateDataStructure.cpp
+++ b/code/PostProcessing/ValidateDataStructure.cpp
@@ -891,6 +891,9 @@ void ValidateDSProcess::Validate(const aiNode *pNode) {
                 ReportError("aiNode \"%s\" child %i \"%s\" parent is someone else: \"%s\"", pNode->mName.C_Str(), i, pChild->mName.C_Str(), parentName);
             }
         }
+    } else if (pNode->mChildren) {
+        ReportError("aiNode::mChildren is not nullptr for empty node %s (aiNode::mNumChildren is %i)",
+                nodeName, pNode->mNumChildren);
     }
 }