diff --git a/usr.bin/awk/b.c b/usr.bin/awk/b.c
index dddd9e97169..790b6917de1 100644
--- a/usr.bin/awk/b.c
+++ b/usr.bin/awk/b.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/*	$OpenBSD: b.c,v 1.55 2025/02/05 20:32:56 millert Exp $	*/
+/*	$OpenBSD: b.c,v 1.56 2026/04/02 14:45:03 millert Exp $	*/
 /****************************************************************
 Copyright (C) Lucent Technologies 1997
 All Rights Reserved
@@ -1214,6 +1214,9 @@ replace_repeat(const uschar *reptok, int reptoklen, const uschar *atom,
 static int repeat(const uschar *reptok, int reptoklen, const uschar *atom,
 		  int atomlen, int firstnum, int secondnum)
 {
+	if (atom == NULL)
+		return 0;
+
 	/*
 	   In general, the repetition specifier or "bound" is replaced here
 	   by an equivalent ERE string, repeating the immediately previous atom
@@ -1461,6 +1464,9 @@ rescan:
 					lastre);
 			} else if (isdigit(c)) {
 				num = 10 * num + c - '0';
+				if (num > _POSIX_RE_DUP_MAX)
+					FATAL("repetition count %.20s too large",
+						lastre);
 				digitfound = true;
 			} else if (c == ',') {
 				if (commafound)