diff --git a/bn_fast_mp_invmod.c b/bn_fast_mp_invmod.c
index 08389dd..cabed0c 100644
--- a/bn_fast_mp_invmod.c
+++ b/bn_fast_mp_invmod.c
@@ -46,6 +46,12 @@ int fast_mp_invmod(const mp_int *a, const mp_int *b, mp_int *c)
       goto LBL_ERR;
    }
 
+   /* if one of x,y is zero return an error! */
+   if ((mp_iszero(&x) == MP_YES) || (mp_iszero(&y) == MP_YES)) {
+      res = MP_VAL;
+      goto LBL_ERR;
+   }
+
    /* 3. u=x, v=y, A=1, B=0, C=0,D=1 */
    if ((res = mp_copy(&x, &u)) != MP_OKAY) {
       goto LBL_ERR;
diff --git a/bn_mp_invmod.c b/bn_mp_invmod.c
index 525493a..528b0c7 100644
--- a/bn_mp_invmod.c
+++ b/bn_mp_invmod.c
@@ -18,14 +18,14 @@
 /* hac 14.61, pp608 */
 int mp_invmod(const mp_int *a, const mp_int *b, mp_int *c)
 {
-   /* b cannot be negative */
-   if ((b->sign == MP_NEG) || (mp_iszero(b) == MP_YES)) {
+   /* b cannot be negative and has to be >1 */
+   if ((b->sign == MP_NEG) || (mp_cmp_d(b, 1) != MP_GT)) {
       return MP_VAL;
    }
 
 #ifdef BN_FAST_MP_INVMOD_C
    /* if the modulus is odd we can use a faster routine instead */
-   if ((mp_isodd(b) == MP_YES) && (mp_cmp_d(b, 1) != MP_EQ)) {
+   if ((mp_isodd(b) == MP_YES)) {
       return fast_mp_invmod(a, b, c);
    }
 #endif