diff --git a/src/output-json-email-common.c b/src/output-json-email-common.c
index b5e2dd29a80e..e4a1b21d04df 100644
--- a/src/output-json-email-common.c
+++ b/src/output-json-email-common.c
@@ -148,8 +148,7 @@ static bool EveEmailLogJsonData(
             smtp_state = (SMTPState *)state;
             if (smtp_state == NULL) {
                 SCLogDebug("no smtp state, so no request logging");
-                SCJbFree(sjs);
-                SCReturnPtr(NULL, "SCJsonBuilder");
+                SCReturnBool(false);
             }
             SMTPTransaction *tx = vtx;
             mime_state = tx->mime_state;
diff --git a/src/output-json-smtp.c b/src/output-json-smtp.c
index e4a706ce25c1..de9e2623e90e 100644
--- a/src/output-json-smtp.c
+++ b/src/output-json-smtp.c
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@
 
 static void EveSmtpDataLogger(void *state, void *vtx, SCJsonBuilder *js)
 {
+    if (state == NULL || vtx == NULL) {
+        return;
+    }
+
     SMTPTransaction *tx = vtx;
     SMTPString *rcptto_str;
     if (((SMTPState *)state)->helo) {