diff --git a/tools/palette.c b/tools/palette.c
index ebb8e4fbf..397c62651 100644
--- a/tools/palette.c
+++ b/tools/palette.c
@@ -50,9 +50,17 @@ void print_palette(char* palette_filename) {
 
 	fseek(f, 0, SEEK_END);
 	size = ftell(f);
+	if (!size) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "empty file %s\n", palette_filename);
+		exit(1);
+	}
 	rewind(f);
 
 	bytes = malloc(size);
+	if (!bytes) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "malloc failure\n");
+		exit(1);
+	}
 
 	fseek(f, 0, SEEK_SET);
 	fread(bytes, 1, size, f);
diff --git a/tools/pokemon_animation.c b/tools/pokemon_animation.c
index 5eadd6104..315a1729f 100644
--- a/tools/pokemon_animation.c
+++ b/tools/pokemon_animation.c
@@ -54,9 +54,17 @@ void make_frames(struct Frames* frames, struct Bitmasks* bitmasks, char* tilemap
 
 	fseek(f, 0, SEEK_END);
 	size = ftell(f);
+	if (!size) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "empty file %s\n", tilemap_filename);
+		exit(1);
+	}
 	rewind(f);
 
 	tilemap = malloc(size);
+	if (!tilemap) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "malloc failure\n");
+		exit(1);
+	}
 	fread(tilemap, 1, size, f);
 	fclose(f);
 
diff --git a/tools/pokemon_animation_graphics.c b/tools/pokemon_animation_graphics.c
index f38850fb0..ae96d7f17 100644
--- a/tools/pokemon_animation_graphics.c
+++ b/tools/pokemon_animation_graphics.c
@@ -90,8 +90,16 @@ void create_tilemap(struct Tilemap* tilemap, struct Graphic* graphic, char* grap
 	}
 	fseek(f, 0, SEEK_END);
 	graphics_size = ftell(f);
+	if (!graphics_size) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "empty file %s\n", graphics_filename);
+		exit(1);
+	}
 	rewind(f);
 	graphics = malloc(graphics_size);
+	if (!graphics) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "malloc failure\n");
+		exit(1);
+	}
 	fread(graphics, 1, graphics_size, f);
 	fclose(f);