diff --git a/pkg/seccomp/seccomp_rules.go b/pkg/seccomp/seccomp_rules.go
index ffdf42884..10c6a824b 100644
--- a/pkg/seccomp/seccomp_rules.go
+++ b/pkg/seccomp/seccomp_rules.go
@@ -337,11 +337,14 @@ func (MatchAll) Render(program *syscallProgram, labelSet *labelSet) {
 func (MatchAll) String() string { return "true" }
 
 // Or expresses an "OR" (a disjunction) over a set of `SyscallRule`s.
-// If an Or is empty, it will not match anything.
+// An `Or` may not be empty.
 type Or []SyscallRule
 
 // Render implements `SyscallRule.Render`.
 func (or Or) Render(program *syscallProgram, labelSet *labelSet) {
+	if len(or) == 0 {
+		panic("Or expression cannot be empty")
+	}
 	// If `len(or) == 1`, this will be optimized away to be the same as
 	// rendering the single rule in the disjunction.
 	for i, rule := range or {
@@ -358,7 +361,7 @@ func (or Or) Render(program *syscallProgram, labelSet *labelSet) {
 func (or Or) String() string {
 	switch len(or) {
 	case 0:
-		return "false"
+		return "invalid"
 	case 1:
 		return or[0].String()
 	default:
@@ -376,11 +379,14 @@ func (or Or) String() string {
 }
 
 // And expresses an "AND" (a conjunction) over a set of `SyscallRule`s.
-// If an And is empty, it will match anything.
+// An `And` may not be empty.
 type And []SyscallRule
 
 // Render implements `SyscallRule.Render`.
 func (and And) Render(program *syscallProgram, labelSet *labelSet) {
+	if len(and) == 0 {
+		panic("And expression cannot be empty")
+	}
 	// If `len(and) == 1`, this will be optimized away to be the same as
 	// rendering the single rule in the conjunction.
 	for i, rule := range and {
@@ -397,7 +403,7 @@ func (and And) Render(program *syscallProgram, labelSet *labelSet) {
 func (and And) String() string {
 	switch len(and) {
 	case 0:
-		return "true"
+		return "invalid"
 	case 1:
 		return and[0].String()
 	default:
diff --git a/pkg/seccomp/seccomp_test.go b/pkg/seccomp/seccomp_test.go
index cd6dcee95..41364b473 100644
--- a/pkg/seccomp/seccomp_test.go
+++ b/pkg/seccomp/seccomp_test.go
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ func TestBasic(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, test := range []struct {
 		name          string
 		ruleSets      []RuleSet
+		wantPanic     bool
 		defaultAction linux.BPFAction
 		badArchAction linux.BPFAction
 		specs         []spec
@@ -305,6 +306,18 @@ func TestBasic(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name: "empty Or is invalid",
+			ruleSets: []RuleSet{
+				{
+					Rules: MakeSyscallRules(map[uintptr]SyscallRule{
+						1: Or{},
+					}),
+					Action: linux.SECCOMP_RET_ALLOW,
+				},
+			},
+			wantPanic: true,
+		},
 		{
 			name: "And of multiple rules",
 			ruleSets: []RuleSet{
@@ -342,6 +355,18 @@ func TestBasic(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name: "empty And is invalid",
+			ruleSets: []RuleSet{
+				{
+					Rules: MakeSyscallRules(map[uintptr]SyscallRule{
+						1: And{},
+					}),
+					Action: linux.SECCOMP_RET_ALLOW,
+				},
+			},
+			wantPanic: true,
+		},
 		{
 			name: "EqualTo",
 			ruleSets: []RuleSet{
@@ -905,9 +930,28 @@ func TestBasic(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	} {
 		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			instrs, _, err := BuildProgram(test.ruleSets, test.defaultAction, test.badArchAction)
-			if err != nil {
-				t.Fatalf("BuildProgram() got error: %v", err)
+			var instrs []bpf.Instruction
+			var panicErr any
+			func() {
+				t.Helper()
+				defer func() {
+					panicErr = recover()
+					t.Helper()
+				}()
+				var err error
+				instrs, _, err = BuildProgram(test.ruleSets, test.defaultAction, test.badArchAction)
+				if err != nil {
+					t.Fatalf("BuildProgram() got error: %v", err)
+				}
+			}()
+			if test.wantPanic {
+				if panicErr == nil {
+					t.Fatal("BuildProgram did not panick")
+				}
+				return
+			}
+			if panicErr != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("BuildProgram unexpectedly panicked: %v", panicErr)
 			}
 			p, err := bpf.Compile(instrs, true /* optimize */)
 			if err != nil {