diff --git a/pkg/dockerfile/parse.go b/pkg/dockerfile/parse.go
index 11d946d5a..31b68f9ba 100644
--- a/pkg/dockerfile/parse.go
+++ b/pkg/dockerfile/parse.go
@@ -453,6 +453,9 @@ func (d *Dockerfile) indexStagesByTarget() {
 }
 
 func parseUser(instruction *parser.Node) instructions.KeyValuePair {
+	if instruction.Next == nil {
+		return instructions.KeyValuePair{}
+	}
 	value := instruction.Next.Value
 	if strings.Contains(value, ":") && !strings.HasPrefix(value, "${") {
 		value = strings.Split(value, ":")[0]
@@ -462,6 +465,9 @@ func parseUser(instruction *parser.Node) instructions.KeyValuePair {
 
 func parseArg(instruction *parser.Node) instructions.KeyValuePairOptional {
 	node := instruction.Next
+	if node == nil {
+		return instructions.KeyValuePairOptional{}
+	}
 	if node.Next != nil {
 		value := node.Next.Value
 		return instructions.KeyValuePairOptional{Key: node.Value, Value: &value}
diff --git a/pkg/dockerfile/parse_test.go b/pkg/dockerfile/parse_test.go
index 6441321ff..931f861f5 100644
--- a/pkg/dockerfile/parse_test.go
+++ b/pkg/dockerfile/parse_test.go
@@ -358,3 +358,17 @@ FROM ${REGISTRY}/${IMAGE}:${TAG}`
 	)
 	s.Equal("gcr.io/my/image:latest", baseImage)
 }
+
+func (s *ParseTestSuite) TestValuelessUserDoesNotPanic() {
+	d, err := Parse("FROM ubuntu\nUSER")
+	s.NoError(err)
+	s.Require().NotEmpty(d.Stages)
+	s.Empty(d.Stages[0].Users[0].Key)
+}
+
+func (s *ParseTestSuite) TestValuelessArgDoesNotPanic() {
+	d, err := Parse("FROM ubuntu\nARG")
+	s.NoError(err)
+	s.Require().NotEmpty(d.Stages)
+	s.Empty(d.Stages[0].Args[0].Key)
+}