diff --git a/include/boost/dll/detail/posix/program_location_impl.hpp b/include/boost/dll/detail/posix/program_location_impl.hpp
index 58544fa0..177e89fb 100644
--- a/include/boost/dll/detail/posix/program_location_impl.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/dll/detail/posix/program_location_impl.hpp
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 
 #if BOOST_OS_MACOS || BOOST_OS_IOS
 
+#include <string>
 #include <mach-o/dyld.h>
 
 namespace boost { namespace dll { namespace detail {
@@ -29,16 +30,15 @@ namespace boost { namespace dll { namespace detail {
         if (_NSGetExecutablePath(path, &size) == 0)
             return boost::dll::fs::path(path);
 
-        char *p = new char[size];
-        if (_NSGetExecutablePath(p, &size) != 0) {
+        std::string p;
+        p.resize(size);
+        if (_NSGetExecutablePath(p.data(), &size) != 0) {
             ec = std::make_error_code(
                 std::errc::bad_file_descriptor
             );
         }
 
-        boost::dll::fs::path ret(p);
-        delete[] p;
-        return ret;
+        return boost::dll::fs::path(std::move(p));
     }
 }}} // namespace boost::dll::detail
 
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ namespace boost { namespace dll { namespace detail {
 
 #elif BOOST_OS_BSD_FREE
 
+#include <string>
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/sysctl.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
@@ -68,11 +69,27 @@ namespace boost { namespace dll { namespace detail {
         mib[1] = KERN_PROC;
         mib[2] = KERN_PROC_PATHNAME;
         mib[3] = -1;
-        char buf[10240];
-        size_t cb = sizeof(buf);
-        sysctl(mib, 4, buf, &cb, NULL, 0);
+        char path[1024];
+        size_t size = sizeof(buf);
+        if (sysctl(mib, 4, path, &size, nullptr, 0) == 0)
+            return boost::dll::fs::path(path);
+
+        const auto errno_snapshot = static_cast<std::errc>(errno);
+        if (errno_snapshot != std::errc::not_enough_memory) {
+            ec = std::make_error_code(
+                errno_snapshot
+            );
+        }
+
+        std::string p;
+        p.resize(size);
+        if (sysctl(mib, 4, p.data(), &size, nullptr, 0) != 0) {
+            ec = std::make_error_code(
+                static_cast<std::errc>(errno)
+            );
+        }
 
-        return boost::dll::fs::path(buf);
+        return boost::dll::fs::path(std::move(p));
     }
 }}} // namespace boost::dll::detail
 
@@ -103,17 +120,17 @@ namespace boost { namespace dll { namespace detail {
     inline boost::dll::fs::path program_location_impl(std::error_code &ec) {
         ec.clear();
 
-        std::string s;
+        std::string path;
         std::ifstream ifs("/proc/self/exefile");
-        std::getline(ifs, s);
+        std::getline(ifs, path);
 
-        if (ifs.fail() || s.empty()) {
+        if (ifs.fail() || path.empty()) {
             ec = std::make_error_code(
                 std::errc::bad_file_descriptor
             );
         }
 
-        return boost::dll::fs::path(s);
+        return boost::dll::fs::path(std::move(path));
     }
 }}} // namespace boost::dll::detail
 
diff --git a/include/boost/dll/detail/windows/path_from_handle.hpp b/include/boost/dll/detail/windows/path_from_handle.hpp
index 505cd32f..24ca165b 100644
--- a/include/boost/dll/detail/windows/path_from_handle.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/dll/detail/windows/path_from_handle.hpp
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ namespace boost { namespace dll { namespace detail {
     }
 
     inline boost::dll::fs::path path_from_handle(boost::winapi::HMODULE_ handle, std::error_code &ec) {
-        BOOST_STATIC_CONSTANT(boost::winapi::DWORD_, ERROR_INSUFFICIENT_BUFFER_ = 0x7A);
-        BOOST_STATIC_CONSTANT(boost::winapi::DWORD_, DEFAULT_PATH_SIZE_ = 260);
+        constexpr boost::winapi::DWORD_ ERROR_INSUFFICIENT_BUFFER_ = 0x7A;
+        constexpr boost::winapi::DWORD_ DEFAULT_PATH_SIZE_ = 260;
 
         // If `handle` parameter is NULL, GetModuleFileName retrieves the path of the
         // executable file of the current process.
diff --git a/test/shared_library_load_test.cpp b/test/shared_library_load_test.cpp
index ca22c7dd..0bb6068b 100644
--- a/test/shared_library_load_test.cpp
+++ b/test/shared_library_load_test.cpp
@@ -139,7 +139,14 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
         BOOST_TEST(sl2.location(ec) != sl.location());
         BOOST_TEST(ec);
    }
-
+   {
+        shared_library sl_empty(nullptr);
+        BOOST_TEST(!sl_empty.is_loaded());
+        BOOST_TEST(!sl_empty);
+        std::error_code ec;
+        sl_empty.location(ec);
+        BOOST_TEST(ec);
+   }
    {
         boost::dll::fs::error_code ec;
         shared_library sl(shared_library_path, ec);