diff --git a/src/fsfw/cfdp/handler/DestHandler.cpp b/src/fsfw/cfdp/handler/DestHandler.cpp
index 4bb1cf5c..65a62663 100644
--- a/src/fsfw/cfdp/handler/DestHandler.cpp
+++ b/src/fsfw/cfdp/handler/DestHandler.cpp
@@ -282,21 +282,25 @@ ReturnValue_t cfdp::DestHandler::startTransaction(const MetadataPduReader& reade
   ReturnValue_t result = OK;
   size_t sourceNameSize = 0;
 
-  const uint8_t* sourceNamePtr = reader.getSourceFileName().getValue(&sourceNameSize);
-  if (sourceNameSize + 1 > transactionParams.sourceName.size()) {
-    fileErrorHandler(events::FILENAME_TOO_LARGE_ERROR, 0, "source filename too large");
-    return FAILED;
+  if (not reader.getSourceFileName().isEmpty()) {
+    const uint8_t* sourceNamePtr = reader.getSourceFileName().getValue(&sourceNameSize);
+    if (sourceNameSize + 1 > transactionParams.sourceName.size()) {
+      fileErrorHandler(events::FILENAME_TOO_LARGE_ERROR, 0, "source filename too large");
+      return FAILED;
+    }
+    std::memcpy(transactionParams.sourceName.data(), sourceNamePtr, sourceNameSize);
+    transactionParams.sourceName[sourceNameSize] = '\0';
   }
-  std::memcpy(transactionParams.sourceName.data(), sourceNamePtr, sourceNameSize);
-  transactionParams.sourceName[sourceNameSize] = '\0';
   size_t destNameSize = 0;
-  const uint8_t* destNamePtr = reader.getDestFileName().getValue(&destNameSize);
-  if (destNameSize + 1 > transactionParams.destName.size()) {
-    fileErrorHandler(events::FILENAME_TOO_LARGE_ERROR, 0, "dest filename too large");
-    return FAILED;
+  if (not reader.getDestFileName().isEmpty()) {
+    const uint8_t* destNamePtr = reader.getDestFileName().getValue(&destNameSize);
+    if (destNameSize + 1 > transactionParams.destName.size()) {
+      fileErrorHandler(events::FILENAME_TOO_LARGE_ERROR, 0, "dest filename too large");
+      return FAILED;
+    }
+    std::memcpy(transactionParams.destName.data(), destNamePtr, destNameSize);
+    transactionParams.destName[destNameSize] = '\0';
   }
-  std::memcpy(transactionParams.destName.data(), destNamePtr, destNameSize);
-  transactionParams.destName[destNameSize] = '\0';
 
   // If both dest name size and source name size are 0, we are dealing with a metadata only PDU,
   // so there is no need to create a file or truncate an existing file
diff --git a/src/fsfw/cfdp/tlv/Lv.cpp b/src/fsfw/cfdp/tlv/Lv.cpp
index 0daec472..0972d973 100644
--- a/src/fsfw/cfdp/tlv/Lv.cpp
+++ b/src/fsfw/cfdp/tlv/Lv.cpp
@@ -95,3 +95,5 @@ cfdp::Lv& cfdp::Lv::operator=(cfdp::Lv&& other) noexcept {
 }
 
 size_t cfdp::Lv::getValueLen() const { return getSerializedSize() - 1; }
+
+bool cfdp::Lv::isEmpty() const { return zeroLen; }
diff --git a/src/fsfw/cfdp/tlv/Lv.h b/src/fsfw/cfdp/tlv/Lv.h
index c1ab78de..ee8e18c6 100644
--- a/src/fsfw/cfdp/tlv/Lv.h
+++ b/src/fsfw/cfdp/tlv/Lv.h
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ class Lv : public SerializeIF {
    */
   const uint8_t* getValue(size_t* size) const;
 
+  bool isEmpty() const;
+
  private:
   bool zeroLen = true;
   SerialBufferAdapter<uint8_t> value;
diff --git a/src/fsfw/serialize/SerialBufferAdapter.cpp b/src/fsfw/serialize/SerialBufferAdapter.cpp
index 01eb76f9..3d0de695 100644
--- a/src/fsfw/serialize/SerialBufferAdapter.cpp
+++ b/src/fsfw/serialize/SerialBufferAdapter.cpp
@@ -107,14 +107,6 @@ uint8_t* SerialBufferAdapter<count_t>::getBuffer() {
 
 template <typename count_t>
 const uint8_t* SerialBufferAdapter<count_t>::getConstBuffer() const {
-  if (constBuffer == nullptr) {
-#if FSFW_CPP_OSTREAM_ENABLED == 1
-    sif::error << "SerialBufferAdapter::getConstBuffer:"
-                  " Buffers are unitialized!"
-               << std::endl;
-#endif
-    return nullptr;
-  }
   return constBuffer;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/fsfw/serialize/SerialBufferAdapter.h b/src/fsfw/serialize/SerialBufferAdapter.h
index 9030d7cc..37bc69b3 100644
--- a/src/fsfw/serialize/SerialBufferAdapter.h
+++ b/src/fsfw/serialize/SerialBufferAdapter.h
@@ -63,7 +63,17 @@ class SerialBufferAdapter : public SerializeIF {
   ReturnValue_t deSerialize(const uint8_t** buffer, size_t* size,
                             Endianness streamEndianness) override;
 
+  /**
+   * Please note that this function can also return a nullpointer in case the length field contains
+   * 0.
+   * @return
+   */
   uint8_t* getBuffer();
+  /**
+   * Please note that this function can also return a nullpointer in case the length field contains
+   * 0.
+   * @return
+   */
   [[nodiscard]] const uint8_t* getConstBuffer() const;
   void setConstBuffer(const uint8_t* buf, count_t bufLen);