diff --git a/opal/class/opal_pointer_array.c b/opal/class/opal_pointer_array.c
index 3c948d30032..0bbbb5a2277 100644
--- a/opal/class/opal_pointer_array.c
+++ b/opal/class/opal_pointer_array.c
@@ -166,6 +166,10 @@ int opal_pointer_array_set_item(opal_pointer_array_t *table, int index,
 {
     assert(table != NULL);
 
+    if (OPAL_UNLIKELY(0 > index)) {
+        return OPAL_ERROR;
+    }
+
     /* expand table if required to set a specific index */
 
     OPAL_THREAD_LOCK(&(table->lock));
diff --git a/opal/class/opal_pointer_array.h b/opal/class/opal_pointer_array.h
index 8271fe50ba1..87b45b1a337 100644
--- a/opal/class/opal_pointer_array.h
+++ b/opal/class/opal_pointer_array.h
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 
 #include "opal/threads/mutex.h"
 #include "opal/class/opal_object.h"
+#include "opal/prefetch.h"
 
 BEGIN_C_DECLS
 
@@ -124,7 +125,7 @@ static inline void *opal_pointer_array_get_item(opal_pointer_array_t *table,
 {
     void *p;
 
-    if( table->size <= element_index ) {
+    if( OPAL_UNLIKELY(0 > element_index || table->size <= element_index) ) {
         return NULL;
     }
     OPAL_THREAD_LOCK(&(table->lock));