diff -r 2dd106799aa9 Lib/test/test_os.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_os.py	Wed Oct 26 21:29:54 2011 +0300
+++ b/Lib/test/test_os.py	Wed Oct 26 23:28:54 2011 +0400
@@ -1604,6 +1604,15 @@
         self._check_xattrs(getxattr, setxattr, removexattr, listxattr)
 
 
+@unittest.skipUnless(hasattr(os, 'spawnv'),
+                        "no spawnv system call available")
+class SpawnTests(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_wrong_args(self):
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, os.spawnl, os.P_WAIT, '')
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, os.spawnl, os.P_WAIT, '__not_existing_path__')
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, os.spawnl, os.P_WAIT, '__not_existing_path__', '')
+
+
 @support.reap_threads
 def test_main():
     support.run_unittest(
@@ -1628,6 +1637,7 @@
         TestSendfile,
         ProgramPriorityTests,
         ExtendedAttributeTests,
+        SpawnTests,
     )
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
diff -r 2dd106799aa9 Modules/posixmodule.c
--- a/Modules/posixmodule.c	Wed Oct 26 21:29:54 2011 +0300
+++ b/Modules/posixmodule.c	Wed Oct 26 23:28:54 2011 +0400
@@ -4265,6 +4265,18 @@
         Py_DECREF(opath);
         return NULL;
     }
+    if(!path || !*path) {
+		PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError,
+		                "spawnv() path can't be empty");
+		Py_DECREF(opath);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	if(!argc) {
+		PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError,
+						"spawnv() arg 2 container must be not empty");
+		Py_DECREF(opath);
+		return NULL;
+	}
 
     argvlist = PyMem_NEW(char *, argc+1);
     if (argvlist == NULL) {
@@ -4282,6 +4294,12 @@
             return NULL;
         }
     }
+	if(!*(argvlist[0])) {
+		PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError,
+						"first argument can't be empty");
+		Py_DECREF(opath);
+		return NULL;
+	}
     argvlist[argc] = NULL;
 
 #if defined(PYOS_OS2) && defined(PYCC_GCC)