diff --git a/src/lib/xce_select.c b/src/lib/xce_select.c
index 7c9b48ef..2166a874 100644
--- a/src/lib/xce_select.c
+++ b/src/lib/xce_select.c
@@ -527,15 +527,19 @@ static int is_str_cmp(const xce_select_node_t* node)
 
 static double simple_num(const xce_select_node_t* n, const host_eval_ctx_t* h)
 {
-    return n->type == SEL_NUM ? n->u.numval
-                              : h->numvals[n->u.resname.res_idx];
+    if (n->type == SEL_NUM) return n->u.numval;
+    int idx = n->u.resname.res_idx;
+    if (h->numvals == NULL || idx < 0 || idx >= h->num_res) return 0.0;
+    return h->numvals[idx];
 }
 
 static const char* simple_str(const xce_select_node_t* n,
                                const host_eval_ctx_t*   h)
 {
-    return n->type == SEL_STR ? n->u.strval
-                              : h->strvals[n->u.resname.res_idx];
+    if (n->type == SEL_STR) return n->u.strval;
+    int idx = n->u.resname.res_idx;
+    if (h->strvals == NULL || idx < 0 || idx >= h->num_res) return NULL;
+    return h->strvals[idx];
 }
 
 /* Safe cache reads: use cached value when in-bounds, fall back to host data
@@ -566,8 +570,11 @@ int eval_select_simple(const xce_select_node_t* root,
     case SEL_RESNAME:
         switch (root->u.resname.res_type) {
         case RES_TYPE_BOOL:
-        case RES_TYPE_NUMERIC:
-            return host->numvals[root->u.resname.res_idx] != 0.0 ? 1 : 0;
+        case RES_TYPE_NUMERIC: {
+            int idx = root->u.resname.res_idx;
+            if (host->numvals == NULL || idx < 0 || idx >= host->num_res) return 0;
+            return host->numvals[idx] != 0.0 ? 1 : 0;
+        }
         case RES_TYPE_STRING:
             return -1;
         }
@@ -670,13 +677,17 @@ static int eval_select_inner(const xce_select_node_t* node,
         switch (node->u.resname.res_type) {
         case RES_TYPE_BOOL:
         case RES_TYPE_NUMERIC: {
-            double v = host->numvals[node->u.resname.res_idx];
+            int idx = node->u.resname.res_idx;
+            double v = (host->numvals != NULL && idx >= 0 && idx < host->num_res)
+                           ? host->numvals[idx] : 0.0;
             if (node->node_id < ctx->num_vals_cap)
                 ctx->num_vals[node->node_id] = v;
             return v != 0.0 ? 1 : 0;
         }
         case RES_TYPE_STRING: {
-            const char* sv = host->strvals[node->u.resname.res_idx];
+            int idx = node->u.resname.res_idx;
+            const char* sv = (host->strvals != NULL && idx >= 0 && idx < host->num_res)
+                                 ? host->strvals[idx] : NULL;
             if (node->node_id < ctx->str_vals_cap)
                 ctx->str_vals[node->node_id] = sv;
             return -1;
diff --git a/src/scheduler/src/resource.c b/src/scheduler/src/resource.c
index c7a814b6..e0d9f418 100644
--- a/src/scheduler/src/resource.c
+++ b/src/scheduler/src/resource.c
@@ -132,8 +132,9 @@ build_host_eval_ctx(const xce_sched_worker_t* w, int num_res)
     if (ctx == NULL) return NULL;
 
     if (num_res <= 0) {
-        free(ctx);
-        return NULL;
+        /* valid empty context — numvals/strvals remain NULL, bounds checks protect access */
+        ctx->num_res = 0;
+        return ctx;
     }
 
     double*      numvals = calloc(num_res, sizeof(double));
@@ -185,26 +186,14 @@ int sched_meet_host_selection(xce_scheduler_t* sched, xce_sched_worker_t* w,
 
     int num_res = (int)w->resvals.caps;
 
-    /* When num_res == 0, build_host_eval_ctx returns NULL (no resource slots).
-     * Use an empty stack-allocated context so eval_select_simple can still
-     * evaluate constant sub-expressions (SEL_TRUE, SEL_FALSE, SEL_ANY). */
-    host_eval_ctx_t  empty_ctx = { .num_res = 0, .numvals = NULL, .strvals = NULL };
-    host_eval_ctx_t* hctx;
-
-    if (num_res <= 0) {
-        hctx = &empty_ctx;
-    } else {
-        hctx = build_host_eval_ctx(w, num_res);
-        if (hctx == NULL) {
-            /* OOM: conservatively pass host */
-            return 1;
-        }
+    host_eval_ctx_t* hctx = build_host_eval_ctx(w, num_res);
+    if (hctx == NULL) {
+        /* OOM: conservatively pass host */
+        return 1;
     }
 
     int rc = eval_select_simple(s->root, hctx);
-    if (hctx != &empty_ctx) {
-        free_host_eval_ctx(hctx);
-    }
+    free_host_eval_ctx(hctx);
 
     /* eval_select_simple: 1=match, 0=no-match, <0=error (treat as no-match) */
     return (rc > 0) ? 1 : 0;