diff --git a/src/script.js b/src/script.js
index 4bd2fdf..0277061 100644
--- a/src/script.js
+++ b/src/script.js
@@ -98,11 +98,11 @@ function decompile (buffer) {
       var d = pushdata.decode(buffer, i)
 
       // did reading a pushDataInt fail? empty script
-      if (d === null) return []
+      if (d === null) return null
       i += d.size
 
       // attempt to read too much data? empty script
-      if (i + d.number > buffer.length) return []
+      if (i + d.number > buffer.length) return null
 
       var data = buffer.slice(i, i + d.number)
       i += d.number
diff --git a/src/templates/index.js b/src/templates/index.js
index 4916c78..af09112 100644
--- a/src/templates/index.js
+++ b/src/templates/index.js
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ function classifyOutput (script) {
 
   // XXX: optimization, below functions .decompile before use
   var chunks = decompile(script)
+  if (!chunks) throw new TypeError('Invalid script')
+
   if (multisig.output.check(chunks)) return types.MULTISIG
   if (pubKey.output.check(chunks)) return types.P2PK
   if (witnessCommitment.output.check(chunks)) return types.WITNESS_COMMITMENT
@@ -39,6 +41,7 @@ function classifyOutput (script) {
 function classifyInput (script, allowIncomplete) {
   // XXX: optimization, below functions .decompile before use
   var chunks = decompile(script)
+  if (!chunks) throw new TypeError('Invalid script')
 
   if (pubKeyHash.input.check(chunks)) return types.P2PKH
   if (scriptHash.input.check(chunks, allowIncomplete)) return types.P2SH
@@ -51,6 +54,7 @@ function classifyInput (script, allowIncomplete) {
 function classifyWitness (script, allowIncomplete) {
   // XXX: optimization, below functions .decompile before use
   var chunks = decompile(script)
+  if (!chunks) throw new TypeError('Invalid script')
 
   if (witnessPubKeyHash.input.check(chunks)) return types.P2WPKH
   if (witnessScriptHash.input.check(chunks, allowIncomplete)) return types.P2WSH
diff --git a/src/templates/scripthash/input.js b/src/templates/scripthash/input.js
index cc5bb74..2ce55e3 100644
--- a/src/templates/scripthash/input.js
+++ b/src/templates/scripthash/input.js
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ function check (script, allowIncomplete) {
   var redeemScriptChunks = bscript.decompile(lastChunk)
 
   // is redeemScript a valid script?
-  if (redeemScriptChunks.length === 0) return false
+  if (!redeemScriptChunks) return false
 
   // is redeemScriptSig push only?
   if (!bscript.isPushOnly(scriptSigChunks)) return false
diff --git a/src/transaction_builder.js b/src/transaction_builder.js
index acfc232..3a1310b 100644
--- a/src/transaction_builder.js
+++ b/src/transaction_builder.js
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ function expandInput (scriptSig, witnessStack) {
   var witnessProgram
   var chunks
 
-  var scriptSigChunks = bscript.decompile(scriptSig)
+  var scriptSigChunks = bscript.decompile(scriptSig) || []
   var sigType = btemplates.classifyInput(scriptSigChunks, true)
   if (sigType === scriptTypes.P2SH) {
     p2sh = true
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ function fixMultisigOrder (input, transaction, vin) {
 function expandOutput (script, scriptType, ourPubKey) {
   typeforce(types.Buffer, script)
 
-  var scriptChunks = bscript.decompile(script)
+  var scriptChunks = bscript.decompile(script) || []
   if (!scriptType) {
     scriptType = btemplates.classifyOutput(script)
   }
@@ -257,8 +257,9 @@ function checkP2SHInput (input, redeemScriptHash) {
   if (input.prevOutType) {
     if (input.prevOutType !== scriptTypes.P2SH) throw new Error('PrevOutScript must be P2SH')
 
-    var prevOutScriptScriptHash = bscript.decompile(input.prevOutScript)[1]
-    if (!prevOutScriptScriptHash.equals(redeemScriptHash)) throw new Error('Inconsistent hash160(redeemScript)')
+    var chunks = bscript.decompile(input.prevOutScript)
+    if (!chunks) throw new Error('Invalid prevOutScript')
+    if (!chunks[1].equals(redeemScriptHash)) throw new Error('Inconsistent hash160(redeemScript)')
   }
 }
 
@@ -266,8 +267,9 @@ function checkP2WSHInput (input, witnessScriptHash) {
   if (input.prevOutType) {
     if (input.prevOutType !== scriptTypes.P2WSH) throw new Error('PrevOutScript must be P2WSH')
 
-    var scriptHash = bscript.decompile(input.prevOutScript)[1]
-    if (!scriptHash.equals(witnessScriptHash)) throw new Error('Inconsistent sha256(witnessScript)')
+    var chunks = bscript.decompile(input.prevOutScript)
+    if (!chunks) throw new Error('Invalid witnessScript')
+    if (!chunks[1].equals(witnessScriptHash)) throw new Error('Inconsistent sha256(witnessScript)')
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/test/script.js b/test/script.js
index 07f907f..5a51dbd 100644
--- a/test/script.js
+++ b/test/script.js
@@ -124,10 +124,10 @@ describe('script', function () {
     })
 
     fixtures.invalid.decompile.forEach(function (f) {
-      it('decompiles ' + f.script + ' to [] because of "' + f.description + '"', function () {
+      it('fails to decompile ' + f.script + ',  because "' + f.description + '"', function () {
         var chunks = bscript.decompile(Buffer.from(f.script, 'hex'))
 
-        assert.strictEqual(chunks.length, 0)
+        assert.strictEqual(chunks, null)
       })
     })
   })