diff --git a/src/target/cortexar.c b/src/target/cortexar.c
index 3982e983454..0ab91a46c17 100644
--- a/src/target/cortexar.c
+++ b/src/target/cortexar.c
@@ -1864,8 +1864,9 @@ static const char *cortexar_target_description(target_s *const target)
 	const size_t description_length =
 		cortexar_build_target_description(NULL, 0, target->target_options & TOPT_FLAVOUR_FLOAT) + 1U;
 	char *const description = malloc(description_length);
-	if (description)
-		(void)cortexar_build_target_description(
-			description, description_length, target->target_options & TOPT_FLAVOUR_FLOAT);
+	if (!description) /* malloc failed: heap exhaustion */
+		DEBUG_ERROR("malloc: failed in %s\n", __func__);
+	else
+		cortexar_build_target_description(description, description_length, target->target_options & TOPT_FLAVOUR_FLOAT);
 	return description;
 }
diff --git a/src/target/cortexm.c b/src/target/cortexm.c
index 77ca32c7d4c..8460113bc0c 100644
--- a/src/target/cortexm.c
+++ b/src/target/cortexm.c
@@ -1521,7 +1521,9 @@ static const char *cortexm_target_description(target_s *const target)
 {
 	const size_t description_length = cortexm_build_target_description(NULL, 0, target->target_options) + 1U;
 	char *const description = malloc(description_length);
-	if (description)
+	if (!description) /* malloc failed: heap exhaustion */
+		DEBUG_ERROR("malloc: failed in %s\n", __func__);
+	else
 		cortexm_build_target_description(description, description_length, target->target_options);
 	return description;
 }
diff --git a/src/target/riscv_debug.c b/src/target/riscv_debug.c
index 14d28b35926..2a03989fc84 100644
--- a/src/target/riscv_debug.c
+++ b/src/target/riscv_debug.c
@@ -1287,7 +1287,9 @@ static const char *riscv_target_description(target_s *const target)
 	const size_t description_length =
 		riscv_build_target_description(NULL, 0, hart->address_width, hart->extensions) + 1U;
 	char *const description = malloc(description_length);
-	if (description)
-		(void)riscv_build_target_description(description, description_length, hart->address_width, hart->extensions);
+	if (!description) /* malloc failed: heap exhaustion */
+		DEBUG_ERROR("malloc: failed in %s\n", __func__);
+	else
+		riscv_build_target_description(description, description_length, hart->address_width, hart->extensions);
 	return description;
 }