diff --git a/testcases/kernel/hotplug/memory_hotplug/commands.c b/testcases/kernel/hotplug/memory_hotplug/commands.c
index e31743bd3..e3438e132 100644
--- a/testcases/kernel/hotplug/memory_hotplug/commands.c
+++ b/testcases/kernel/hotplug/memory_hotplug/commands.c
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
 
 #define CMD_SUCCESS 0
 #define CMD_ERROR   1
+#define CMDBUFSZ 256
 
 #ifndef __NR_migrate_pages
 #define __NR_migrate_pages 0
@@ -61,6 +62,11 @@
 
 static char *whitespace = " \t";
 
+inline char *get_next_arg(char *args, char *nextarg)
+{
+	return nextarg ? nextarg + strspn(nextarg, whitespace) : args + strnlen(args, CMDBUFSZ);
+}
+
 /*
  * =========================================================================
  */
@@ -146,7 +152,7 @@ static int get_range(char *args, range_t * range, char **nextarg)
 		range->offset = get_scaled_value(args, "offset");
 		if (range->offset == BOGUS_SIZE)
 			return CMD_ERROR;
-		args = nextarg + strspn(nextarg, whitespace);
+		args = get_next_arg(args, nextarg);
 
 		/*
 		 * <length> ... only if offset specified
@@ -160,7 +166,7 @@ static int get_range(char *args, range_t * range, char **nextarg)
 					return CMD_ERROR;
 			} else
 				range->length = 0;	/* map to end of file */
-			args = nextarg + strspn(nextarg, whitespace);
+			args = get_next_arg(args, nextarg);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -669,7 +675,7 @@ static int anon_seg(char *args)
 	range.length = get_scaled_value(args, "size");
 	if (range.length == BOGUS_SIZE)
 		return CMD_ERROR;
-	args = nextarg + strspn(nextarg, whitespace);
+	args = get_next_arg(args, nextarg);
 
 	if (*args != '\0') {
 		segflag = get_shared(args);
@@ -699,7 +705,7 @@ static int file_seg(char *args)
 	if (!required_arg(args, "<path-name>"))
 		return CMD_ERROR;
 	pathname = strtok_r(args, whitespace, &nextarg);
-	args = nextarg + strspn(nextarg, whitespace);
+	args = get_next_arg(args, nextarg);
 
 	/*
 	 * offset, length are optional
@@ -757,7 +763,7 @@ static int touch_seg(char *args)
 	if (!required_arg(args, "<seg-name>"))
 		return CMD_ERROR;
 	segname = strtok_r(args, whitespace, &nextarg);
-	args = nextarg + strspn(nextarg, whitespace);
+	args = get_next_arg(args, nextarg);
 
 	/*
 	 * offset, length are optional
@@ -788,7 +794,7 @@ static int unmap_seg(char *args)
 	if (!required_arg(args, "<seg-name>"))
 		return CMD_ERROR;
 	segname = strtok_r(args, whitespace, &nextarg);
-	args = nextarg + strspn(nextarg, whitespace);
+	args = get_next_arg(args, nextarg);
 
 	if (!segment_unmap(segname))
 		return CMD_ERROR;
@@ -812,7 +818,7 @@ static int map_seg(char *args)
 	if (!required_arg(args, "<seg-name>"))
 		return CMD_ERROR;
 	segname = strtok_r(args, whitespace, &nextarg);
-	args = nextarg + strspn(nextarg, whitespace);
+	args = get_next_arg(args, nextarg);
 
 	/*
 	 * offset, length are optional
@@ -856,7 +862,7 @@ static int mbind_seg(char *args)
 	if (!required_arg(args, "<seg-name>"))
 		return CMD_ERROR;
 	segname = strtok_r(args, whitespace, &nextarg);
-	args = nextarg + strspn(nextarg, whitespace);
+	args = get_next_arg(args, nextarg);
 
 	/*
 	 * offset, length are optional
@@ -871,7 +877,7 @@ static int mbind_seg(char *args)
 	if (policy < 0)
 		return CMD_ERROR;
 
-	args = nextarg + strspn(nextarg, whitespace);
+	args = get_next_arg(args, nextarg);
 	if (*args == '+') {
 		flags = get_mbind_flags(++args, &nextarg);
 		if (flags == -1)
@@ -914,7 +920,7 @@ static int shmem_seg(char *args)
 	if (!required_arg(args, "<seg-name>"))
 		return CMD_ERROR;
 	segname = strtok_r(args, whitespace, &nextarg);
-	args = nextarg + strspn(nextarg, whitespace);
+	args = get_next_arg(args, nextarg);
 
 	if (!required_arg(args, "<size>"))
 		return CMD_ERROR;
@@ -922,7 +928,7 @@ static int shmem_seg(char *args)
 	range.length = get_scaled_value(args, "size");
 	if (range.length == BOGUS_SIZE)
 		return CMD_ERROR;
-	args = nextarg + strspn(nextarg, whitespace);
+	args = get_next_arg(args, nextarg);
 
 	if (!segment_register(SEGT_SHM, segname, &range, MAP_SHARED))
 		return CMD_ERROR;
@@ -954,7 +960,7 @@ static int where_seg(char *args)
 	if (!required_arg(args, "<seg-name>"))
 		return CMD_ERROR;
 	segname = strtok_r(args, whitespace, &nextarg);
-	args = nextarg + strspn(nextarg, whitespace);
+	args = get_next_arg(args, nextarg);
 
 	/*
 	 * offset, length are optional
@@ -1107,7 +1113,6 @@ static int help_me(char *args)
 /*
  * =========================================================================
  */
-#define CMDBUFSZ 256
 
 static bool unique_abbrev(char *cmd, size_t clen, struct command *cmdp)
 {
