diff --git a/platform/msm_shared/smem.c b/platform/msm_shared/smem.c
index 1979b655d..df5ae73e2 100644
--- a/platform/msm_shared/smem.c
+++ b/platform/msm_shared/smem.c
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ size_t smem_get_hw_platform_name(void *buf, uint32_t buf_size)
 	}
 
 	hw_id = board_hardware_id();
-	if (hw_id >= ARRAY_SIZE(hw_platform))
+	if (hw_id >= ARRAY_SIZE(hw_platform) || hw_platform[hw_id] == '\0')
 		hw_id = HW_PLATFORM_UNKNOWN;
 
 	if (buf_size < strlen(hw_platform[hw_id]) + 1)