diff --git a/src/win32/protect.c b/src/win32/protect.c
index 0e026903..18a412bf 100644
--- a/src/win32/protect.c
+++ b/src/win32/protect.c
@@ -8,18 +8,25 @@
 
 static uint8_t *memmem(const uint8_t *haystack, size_t haystacklen, const uint8_t *needle, size_t needlelen)
 {
-  if (needlelen <= haystacklen)
+  if (needlelen)
   {
-    haystacklen -= needlelen-1;
-    while (haystacklen--)
+    if (needlelen <= haystacklen)
     {
-      if (!memcmp(haystack, needle, needlelen))
+      haystacklen -= needlelen-1;
+      while (haystacklen--)
       {
-        return((uint8_t *)haystack);
+        if (!memcmp(haystack, needle, needlelen))
+        {
+          return((uint8_t *)haystack);
+        }
+        ++haystack;
       }
-      ++haystack;
     }
   }
+  else
+  {
+    return((uint8_t *)haystack);
+  }
   return(0);
 }