diff --git a/src/libmach/dwarfcfa.c b/src/libmach/dwarfcfa.c
index de342cd..d09edcb 100644
--- a/src/libmach/dwarfcfa.c
+++ b/src/libmach/dwarfcfa.c
@@ -110,6 +110,10 @@
 	ulong len, id, base, size;
 	DwarfBuf b;
 
+	if(d->frame.data == nil){
+		werrstr("no frame debugging information");
+		return -1;
+	}
 	b.d = d;
 	b.p = d->frame.data;
 	b.ep = b.p + d->frame.len;
diff --git a/src/libmach/dwarfopen.c b/src/libmach/dwarfopen.c
index 6122ae6..728944f 100644
--- a/src/libmach/dwarfopen.c
+++ b/src/libmach/dwarfopen.c
@@ -58,13 +58,13 @@
 	d->elf = elf;
 	if(loadsection(elf, ".debug_abbrev", &d->abbrev) < 0
 	|| loadsection(elf, ".debug_aranges", &d->aranges) < 0
-	|| loadsection(elf, ".debug_frame", &d->frame) < 0
 	|| loadsection(elf, ".debug_line", &d->line) < 0
 	|| loadsection(elf, ".debug_pubnames", &d->pubnames) < 0
-	|| loadsection(elf, ".debug_ranges", &d->ranges) < 0
-	|| loadsection(elf, ".debug_str", &d->str) < 0
 	|| loadsection(elf, ".debug_info", &d->info) < 0)
 		goto err;
+	loadsection(elf, ".debug_frame", &d->frame);
+	loadsection(elf, ".debug_ranges", &d->ranges);
+	loadsection(elf, ".debug_str", &d->str);
 
 	/* make this a table once there are more */
 	switch(d->elf->hdr.machine){