diff --git a/scripts/codemap.py b/scripts/codemap.py
index 99f5e120..1c367717 100755
--- a/scripts/codemap.py
+++ b/scripts/codemap.py
@@ -1019,6 +1019,8 @@ def main_(f, paths, *,
     # merge code/stack/ctx results
     functions = co.OrderedDict()
     for r in results:
+        if 'function' not in r:
+            continue
         if r['function'] not in functions:
             functions[r['function']] = {'name': r['function']}
         # code things
@@ -1155,6 +1157,10 @@ def main_(f, paths, *,
 
     # assign colors/chars/labels to code tiles
     for i, t in enumerate(code.leaves()):
+        # skip the top tile, yes this can happen if we have no code
+        if t.depth == 0:
+            continue
+
         t.color = subsystems[t.attrs['subsystem']]['color']
 
         if (i, t.attrs['name']) in chars_:
@@ -1218,6 +1224,11 @@ def main_(f, paths, *,
                         ((total_value * to_scale) / (width_*xscale))
                             / yscale)
 
+    # as a special case, if height is implicit and we have nothing to
+    # show, don't print anything
+    if height is None and nil_code and nil_frames and nil_ctx:
+        height_ = 1 if not no_header else 0
+
     # our general purpose partition function
     def partition(tile, **args):
         if tile.depth == 0:
diff --git a/scripts/codemapd3.py b/scripts/codemapd3.py
index e4149290..0bf20adc 100755
--- a/scripts/codemapd3.py
+++ b/scripts/codemapd3.py
@@ -750,6 +750,8 @@ def main(paths, output, *,
     # merge code/stack/ctx results
     functions = co.OrderedDict()
     for r in results:
+        if 'function' not in r:
+            continue
         if r['function'] not in functions:
             functions[r['function']] = {'name': r['function']}
         # code things
@@ -886,7 +888,12 @@ def main(paths, output, *,
 
     # assign colors/labels to code tiles
     for i, t in enumerate(code.leaves()):
+        # skip the top tile, yes this can happen if we have no code
+        if t.depth == 0:
+            continue
+
         t.color = subsystems[t.attrs['subsystem']]['color']
+
         if (i, t.attrs['name']) in labels_:
             label__ = labels_[i, t.attrs['name']]
             # don't punescape unless we have to
@@ -1221,6 +1228,9 @@ def main(paths, output, *,
 
         # create code tiles
         for i, t in enumerate(code.leaves()):
+            # skip the top tile, yes this can happen if we have no code
+            if t.depth == 0:
+                continue
             # skip anything with zero weight/height after aligning things
             if t.width == 0 or t.height == 0:
                 continue
diff --git a/scripts/treemap.py b/scripts/treemap.py
index 39c3a02d..054dc1aa 100755
--- a/scripts/treemap.py
+++ b/scripts/treemap.py
@@ -1090,6 +1090,11 @@ def main_(f, csv_paths, *,
                     ((tile.value * to_scale) / (width_*xscale))
                         / yscale)
 
+    # as a special case, if height is implicit and we have nothing to
+    # show, don't print anything
+    if height is None and tile.value == 0:
+        height_ = 1 if not no_header else 0
+
     # create a canvas
     canvas = Canvas(
             width_,