diff --git a/src/engine/CodeValidator.v3 b/src/engine/CodeValidator.v3
index 8069c7a0a..54ae377e4 100644
--- a/src/engine/CodeValidator.v3
+++ b/src/engine/CodeValidator.v3
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@ class CodeValidator(extensions: Extension.set, limits: Limits, module: Module, e
 					ctl_stack.pop();
 					if (validatingInitExpr && ctl_stack.empty()) { // END finished the init expr
 						codeptr.reset(codeptr.data, codeptr.pos, codeptr.pos);
-					} else {
+					} else if (!ctl_stack.empty()) {
 						ctl_top = ctl_stack.peek();
 					}
 				}
diff --git a/test/unittest/CodeValidatorTest.v3 b/test/unittest/CodeValidatorTest.v3
index be89624a7..34c97ce07 100644
--- a/test/unittest/CodeValidatorTest.v3
+++ b/test/unittest/CodeValidatorTest.v3
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ def X_ = void(
 	T("simd.binop2", test_simd_binop2),
 	T("simd.binop3", test_simd_binop3),
 	T("memarg_stolen_is64", test_memarg_stolen_is64),
+	T("end_empty_ctl", test_end_empty_ctl),
 	()
 );
 
@@ -2418,3 +2419,8 @@ def test_memarg_stolen_is64(t: CodeValidatorTester) {
 		if ((copy[pos] & BpConstants.MEMARG_STOLEN_IS64) == 0) return t.t.fail1("expected 0x%x flag to be set for memory64", BpConstants.MEMARG_STOLEN_IS64);
 	}
 }
+
+def test_end_empty_ctl(t: CodeValidatorTester) {
+	t.sig(SigCache.v_v);
+	t.invalid(WasmError.OOB_LABEL, [u8.!(Opcode.END.code)], 2);
+}