diff --git a/externals/zexy/src/lpt.c b/externals/zexy/src/lpt.c
index ae87cfba9ac96e7d2b4ea383237bc4524aa7b223..809d7181ed89c3c5e946364af20287cebdd781e0 100644
--- a/externals/zexy/src/lpt.c
+++ b/externals/zexy/src/lpt.c
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ static void lpt_bang(t_lpt *x)
 static void *lpt_new(t_symbol *s, int argc, t_atom *argv)
 {
   t_lpt *x = (t_lpt *)pd_new(lpt_class);
-  char*devname=atom_getsymbol(argv)->s_name;
+  char*devname = argc ? atom_getsymbol(argv)->s_name : &s_;
   if(s==gensym("lp")) {
     error("lpt: the use of 'lp' has been deprecated; use 'lpt' instead");
   }
diff --git a/externals/zexy/src/multiline~.c b/externals/zexy/src/multiline~.c
index 584bb4ad46a65aa38dc7f4186d3b9c5bb1c3710a..7982c2329919295465e9e4a8d75ce372dd7b1149 100644
--- a/externals/zexy/src/multiline~.c
+++ b/externals/zexy/src/multiline~.c
@@ -233,9 +233,12 @@ static void *mline_new(t_symbol* UNUSED(s), int argc, t_atom *argv)
 {
   t_mline *x = (t_mline *)pd_new(mline_class);
   int i;
+  t_atom sane_default[1];
 
   if (!argc) {
     argc = 1;
+    SETFLOAT(sane_default, 0.);
+    argv = sane_default;
     x->time = 0;
   } else {
     x->time = atom_getfloat(argv+argc-1);