diff --git a/kernel/script_pubkey.go b/kernel/script_pubkey.go
index 70585f2..1acb08c 100644
--- a/kernel/script_pubkey.go
+++ b/kernel/script_pubkey.go
@@ -35,7 +35,11 @@ func newScriptPubkey(ptr *C.btck_ScriptPubkey, fromOwned bool) *ScriptPubkey {
 // Parameters:
 //   - rawScriptPubkey: Serialized script pubkey data
 func NewScriptPubkey(rawScriptPubkey []byte) *ScriptPubkey {
-	ptr := C.btck_script_pubkey_create(unsafe.Pointer(&rawScriptPubkey[0]), C.size_t(len(rawScriptPubkey)))
+	var buf unsafe.Pointer
+	if len(rawScriptPubkey) > 0 {
+		buf = unsafe.Pointer(&rawScriptPubkey[0])
+	}
+	ptr := C.btck_script_pubkey_create(buf, C.size_t(len(rawScriptPubkey)))
 	return newScriptPubkey(check(ptr), true)
 }
 
diff --git a/kernel/script_pubkey_test.go b/kernel/script_pubkey_test.go
index cab9a2b..24ac3aa 100644
--- a/kernel/script_pubkey_test.go
+++ b/kernel/script_pubkey_test.go
@@ -7,28 +7,44 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestScriptPubkeyFromRaw(t *testing.T) {
-	scriptHex := "76a914389ffce9cd9ae88dcc0631e88a821ffdbe9bfe26158088ac"
-	scriptBytes, err := hex.DecodeString(scriptHex)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("Failed to decode script hex: %v", err)
+	tests := []struct {
+		name      string
+		scriptHex string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:      "standard_p2pkh",
+			scriptHex: "76a914389ffce9cd9ae88dcc0631e88a821ffdbe9bfe26158088ac",
+		},
+		{
+			name:      "empty_script",
+			scriptHex: "",
+		},
 	}
 
-	scriptPubkey := NewScriptPubkey(scriptBytes)
-	defer scriptPubkey.Destroy()
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			scriptBytes, err := hex.DecodeString(tt.scriptHex)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("Failed to decode script hex: %v", err)
+			}
 
-	// Test getting the serialized script pubkey
-	data, err := scriptPubkey.Bytes()
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("ScriptPubkey.Bytes() error = %v", err)
-	}
+			scriptPubkey := NewScriptPubkey(scriptBytes)
+			defer scriptPubkey.Destroy()
 
-	if len(data) != len(scriptBytes) {
-		t.Errorf("Expected data length %d, got %d", len(scriptBytes), len(data))
-	}
+			data, err := scriptPubkey.Bytes()
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("ScriptPubkey.Bytes() error = %v", err)
+			}
 
-	hexStr := hex.EncodeToString(data)
-	if hexStr != scriptHex {
-		t.Errorf("Expected data hex: %s, got %s", scriptHex, hexStr)
+			if len(data) != len(scriptBytes) {
+				t.Errorf("Expected data length %d, got %d", len(scriptBytes), len(data))
+			}
+
+			hexStr := hex.EncodeToString(data)
+			if hexStr != tt.scriptHex {
+				t.Errorf("Expected data hex: %s, got %s", tt.scriptHex, hexStr)
+			}
+		})
 	}
 }
 
@@ -173,6 +189,16 @@ func TestInvalidScripts(t *testing.T) {
 			inputIndex:      0,
 			description:     "a random segwit transaction from the blockchain using native segwit - WITH WRONG SEGWIT",
 		},
+		{
+			name:            "empty_scriptpubkey",
+			scriptPubkeyHex: "",
+			amount:          0,
+			// Minimal coinbase-style transaction with a single empty scriptSig and zero-value output;
+			// used to trigger verification paths.
+			txToHex:     "01000000010000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000ffffffff00ffffffff0100000000000000000000000000",
+			inputIndex:  0,
+			description: "empty scriptPubkey should fail verification",
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {