diff --git a/binarystore.cpp b/binarystore.cpp
index a18a980..1c94dd3 100644
--- a/binarystore.cpp
+++ b/binarystore.cpp
@@ -74,15 +74,22 @@
             log<level::WARNING>(
                 "Fail to parse. There might be no persisted blobs",
                 entry("BASE_ID=%s", baseBlobId_.c_str()));
+
+            return true;
         }
     }
-    catch (const std::exception& e)
+    catch (const std::system_error& e)
     {
         /* Read causes unexpected system-level failure */
         log<level::ERR>("Reading from sysfile failed",
                         entry("ERROR=%s", e.what()));
         return false;
     }
+    catch (const std::exception& e)
+    {
+        log<level::WARNING>("Invalid size. There might be no persisted blobs.");
+        return true;
+    }
 
     if (blob_.blob_base_id() != baseBlobId_)
     {
diff --git a/sys_file.cpp b/sys_file.cpp
index 2336af2..92d6c85 100644
--- a/sys_file.cpp
+++ b/sys_file.cpp
@@ -80,6 +80,13 @@
 std::string SysFileImpl::readAsStr(size_t pos, size_t count) const
 {
     std::string result;
+
+    /* If count is invalid, return an empty string. */
+    if (count == 0 || count > result.max_size())
+    {
+        return result;
+    }
+
     result.resize(count);
     size_t bytesRead = readToBuf(pos, count, result.data());
     result.resize(bytesRead);
diff --git a/sys_file.hpp b/sys_file.hpp
index 5a2bb85..63110d2 100644
--- a/sys_file.hpp
+++ b/sys_file.hpp
@@ -34,8 +34,10 @@
      * @param pos The byte pos into the file to read from
      * @param count How many bytes to read
      * @returns The data read in a vector, whose size might be smaller than
-     *          count if there is not enough to read.
+     *          count if there is not enough to read. Might be empty if the
+     *          count specified is too large to even fit in a std::string.
      * @throws std::system_error if read operation cannot be completed
+     *         std::bad_alloc if cannot construct string with 'count' size
      */
     virtual std::string readAsStr(size_t pos, size_t count) const = 0;
 
diff --git a/test/handler_unittest.cpp b/test/handler_unittest.cpp
index 31ccdc6..b6d204e 100644
--- a/test/handler_unittest.cpp
+++ b/test/handler_unittest.cpp
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@
 
 #include "binaryblob.pb.h"
 
+#include <gtest/gtest.h>
+
 using ::testing::_;
 using ::testing::AtLeast;
 using ::testing::ElementsAreArray;
@@ -178,4 +180,25 @@
     EXPECT_EQ(handler.getBlobIds(), expectedIdList);
 }
 
+TEST_F(BinaryStoreBlobHandlerBasicTest, CreatingFromEmptySysfile)
+{
+    const std::string emptyData;
+    EXPECT_NO_THROW(handler.addNewBinaryStore(BinaryStore::createFromConfig(
+        basicTestBaseId, std::make_unique<FakeSysFile>(emptyData), 0)));
+    EXPECT_TRUE(handler.canHandleBlob(basicTestBlobId));
+}
+
+TEST_F(BinaryStoreBlobHandlerBasicTest, CreatingFromJunkData)
+{
+    boost::endian::little_uint64_t tooLarge = 0xffffffffffffffffull;
+    const std::string junkDataWithLargeSize(tooLarge.data(), sizeof(tooLarge));
+    EXPECT_GE(tooLarge, junkDataWithLargeSize.max_size());
+
+    EXPECT_NO_THROW(handler.addNewBinaryStore(BinaryStore::createFromConfig(
+        basicTestBaseId, std::make_unique<FakeSysFile>(junkDataWithLargeSize),
+        0)));
+
+    EXPECT_TRUE(handler.canHandleBlob(basicTestBlobId));
+}
+
 } // namespace blobs