diff --git a/loginutils/passwd.c b/loginutils/passwd.c
index 59f47fc7b..30e096460 100644
--- a/loginutils/passwd.c
+++ b/loginutils/passwd.c
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
 static char* new_password(const struct passwd *pw, uid_t myuid, const char *algo)
 {
 	char salt[MAX_PW_SALT_LEN];
-	char *orig = (char*)"";
+	char *orig = NULL;
 	char *newp = NULL;
 	char *cp = NULL;
 	char *ret = NULL; /* failure so far */
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ static char* new_password(const struct passwd *pw, uid_t myuid, const char *algo
 	if (myuid != 0 && pw->pw_passwd[0]) {
 		char *encrypted;
 
-		orig = bb_ask_noecho_stdin("Old password: "); /* returns ptr to static */
+		orig = bb_ask_noecho_stdin("Old password: "); /* returns malloced str */
 		if (!orig)
 			goto err_ret;
 		encrypted = pw_encrypt(orig, pw->pw_passwd, 1); /* returns malloced str */
@@ -64,11 +64,11 @@ static char* new_password(const struct passwd *pw, uid_t myuid, const char *algo
 		if (ENABLE_FEATURE_CLEAN_UP)
 			free(encrypted);
 	}
-	newp = bb_ask_noecho_stdin("New password: "); /* returns ptr to static */
+	newp = bb_ask_noecho_stdin("New password: "); /* returns malloced str */
 	if (!newp)
 		goto err_ret;
 	if (ENABLE_FEATURE_PASSWD_WEAK_CHECK
-	 && obscure(orig, newp, pw)
+	 && obscure(orig, newp, pw) /* NB: passing NULL orig is ok */
 	 && myuid != 0
 	) {
 		goto err_ret; /* non-root is not allowed to have weak passwd */