diff --git a/usr.bin/printf/printf.c b/usr.bin/printf/printf.c
index 956e8a3dadb1..5be9d0530ffa 100644
--- a/usr.bin/printf/printf.c
+++ b/usr.bin/printf/printf.c
@@ -244,11 +244,11 @@ printf_doformat(char *fmt, int *rval)
 		/* save format argument */
 		fargv = gargv;
 	} else {
-	fargv = NULL;
+		fargv = NULL;
 	}
 
 	/* skip to field width */
-	while (strchr(skip1, *fmt) != NULL) {
+	while (*fmt && strchr(skip1, *fmt) != NULL) {
 		*dptr++ = *fmt++;
 		*dptr = 0;
 	}
@@ -259,12 +259,19 @@ printf_doformat(char *fmt, int *rval)
 		l = strspn(fmt, digits);
 		if ((l > 0) && (fmt[l] == '$')) {
 			int idx = atoi(fmt);
+			if (fargv == NULL) {
+				warnx("incomplete use of n$");
+				return (NULL);
+			}
 			if (idx <= myargc) {
 				gargv = &myargv[idx - 1];
 			} else {
 				gargv = &myargv[myargc];
 			}
 			fmt += l + 1;
+		} else if (fargv != NULL) {
+			warnx("incomplete use of n$");
+			return (NULL);
 		}
 
 		if (getint(&fieldwidth))
@@ -296,12 +303,19 @@ printf_doformat(char *fmt, int *rval)
 			l = strspn(fmt, digits);
 			if ((l > 0) && (fmt[l] == '$')) {
 				int idx = atoi(fmt);
+				if (fargv == NULL) {
+					warnx("incomplete use of n$");
+					return (NULL);
+				}
 				if (idx <= myargc) {
 					gargv = &myargv[idx - 1];
 				} else {
 					gargv = &myargv[myargc];
 				}
 				fmt += l + 1;
+			} else if (fargv != NULL) {
+				warnx("incomplete use of n$");
+				return (NULL);
 			}
 
 			if (getint(&precision))