diff --git a/src/H5FSsection.c b/src/H5FSsection.c
index 4131a92854e..d9520d1b3ff 100644
--- a/src/H5FSsection.c
+++ b/src/H5FSsection.c
@@ -931,7 +931,10 @@ H5FS__sect_link_size(H5FS_sinfo_t *sinfo, const H5FS_section_class_t *cls, H5FS_
 
     /* Determine correct bin which holds items of the section's size */
     bin = H5VM_log2_gen(sect->size);
-    assert(bin < sinfo->nbins);
+    /* Check if the bin index is within bounds */
+    if (bin >= sinfo->nbins)
+        HGOTO_ERROR(H5E_FSPACE, H5E_BADVALUE, FAIL, "bin index out of bounds");
+
     if (sinfo->bins[bin].bin_list == NULL) {
         if (NULL == (sinfo->bins[bin].bin_list = H5SL_create(H5SL_TYPE_HSIZE, NULL)))
             HGOTO_ERROR(H5E_FSPACE, H5E_CANTCREATE, FAIL, "can't create skip list for free space nodes");
diff --git a/src/H5SM.c b/src/H5SM.c
index 2b98bdbb98b..b3dd8ab04c3 100644
--- a/src/H5SM.c
+++ b/src/H5SM.c
@@ -1538,6 +1538,11 @@ H5SM_delete(H5F_t *f, H5O_t *open_oh, H5O_shared_t *sh_mesg)
     assert(H5_addr_defined(H5F_SOHM_ADDR(f)));
     assert(sh_mesg);
 
+    /* Validate the SOHM address */
+    if (!H5_addr_defined(H5F_SOHM_ADDR(f))) {
+        HGOTO_ERROR(H5E_SOHM, H5E_BADVALUE, FAIL, "SOHM address is invalid or uninitialized");
+    }
+
     /* Get message type */
     type_id = sh_mesg->msg_type_id;