diff --git a/Lib/test/test_os.py b/Lib/test/test_os.py
index b3d0b1e1c38..9194a8a2beb 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_os.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_os.py
@@ -2321,6 +2321,27 @@ class SpawnTests(unittest.TestCase):
         exitcode = os.spawnve(os.P_WAIT, args[0], args, self.env)
         self.assertEqual(exitcode, self.exitcode)
 
+    @requires_os_func('spawnl')
+    def test_spawnl_noargs(self):
+        args = self.create_args()
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, os.spawnl, os.P_NOWAIT, args[0])
+
+    @requires_os_func('spawnle')
+    def test_spawnl_noargs(self):
+        args = self.create_args()
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, os.spawnle, os.P_NOWAIT, args[0], {})
+
+    @requires_os_func('spawnv')
+    def test_spawnv_noargs(self):
+        args = self.create_args()
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, os.spawnv, os.P_NOWAIT, args[0], ())
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, os.spawnv, os.P_NOWAIT, args[0], [])
+
+    @requires_os_func('spawnve')
+    def test_spawnv_noargs(self):
+        args = self.create_args()
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, os.spawnve, os.P_NOWAIT, args[0], (), {})
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, os.spawnve, os.P_NOWAIT, args[0], [], {})
 
 # The introduction of this TestCase caused at least two different errors on
 # *nix buildbots. Temporarily skip this to let the buildbots move along.
diff --git a/Modules/posixmodule.c b/Modules/posixmodule.c
index a89da7091bb..0482f2bbd03 100644
--- a/Modules/posixmodule.c
+++ b/Modules/posixmodule.c
@@ -5042,6 +5042,11 @@ os_spawnv_impl(PyObject *module, int mode, path_t *path, PyObject *argv)
                         "spawnv() arg 2 must be a tuple or list");
         return NULL;
     }
+    if (argc == 0) {
+        PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError,
+            "spawnv() arg 2 cannot be empty");
+        return NULL;
+    }
 
     argvlist = PyMem_NEW(EXECV_CHAR *, argc+1);
     if (argvlist == NULL) {
@@ -5127,6 +5132,11 @@ os_spawnve_impl(PyObject *module, int mode, path_t *path, PyObject *argv,
                         "spawnve() arg 2 must be a tuple or list");
         goto fail_0;
     }
+    if (argc == 0) {
+        PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError,
+            "spawnve() arg 2 cannot be empty");
+        goto fail_0;
+    }
     if (!PyMapping_Check(env)) {
         PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError,
                         "spawnve() arg 3 must be a mapping object");