diff --git a/xen/common/livepatch.c b/xen/common/livepatch.c
index c10ab1f374e0..004b5a436569 100644
--- a/xen/common/livepatch.c
+++ b/xen/common/livepatch.c
@@ -803,28 +803,84 @@ static int prepare_payload(struct payload *payload,
     if ( sec )
     {
 #ifdef CONFIG_HAS_ALTERNATIVE
+        /*
+         * (As of April 2023), Alternatives are formed of:
+         * - An .altinstructions section with an array of struct alt_instr's.
+         * - An .altinstr_replacement section containing instructions.
+         *
+         * An individual alt_instr contains:
+         * - An orig reference, pointing into .text with a nonzero length
+         * - A repl reference, pointing into .altinstr_replacement
+         *
+         * It is legal to have zero-length replacements, meaning it is legal
+         * for the .altinstr_replacement section to be empty too.  An
+         * implementation detail means that a zero-length replacement's repl
+         * reference will still be in the .altinstr_replacement section.
+         */
+        const struct livepatch_elf_sec *repl_sec;
         struct alt_instr *a, *start, *end;
 
         if ( !section_ok(elf, sec, sizeof(*a)) )
             return -EINVAL;
 
+        /* Tolerate an empty .altinstructions section... */
+        if ( sec->sec->sh_size == 0 )
+            goto alt_done;
+
+        /* ... but otherwise, there needs to be something to alter... */
+        if ( payload->text_size == 0 )
+        {
+            printk(XENLOG_ERR LIVEPATCH "%s Alternatives provided, but no .text\n",
+                   elf->name);
+            return -EINVAL;
+        }
+
+        /* ... and something to be altered to. */
+        repl_sec = livepatch_elf_sec_by_name(elf, ".altinstr_replacement");
+        if ( !repl_sec )
+        {
+            printk(XENLOG_ERR LIVEPATCH "%s .altinstructions provided, but no .altinstr_replacement\n",
+                   elf->name);
+            return -EINVAL;
+        }
+
         start = sec->load_addr;
         end = sec->load_addr + sec->sec->sh_size;
 
         for ( a = start; a < end; a++ )
         {
-            const void *instr = ALT_ORIG_PTR(a);
-            const void *replacement = ALT_REPL_PTR(a);
+            const void *orig = ALT_ORIG_PTR(a);
+            const void *repl = ALT_REPL_PTR(a);
+
+            /* orig must be fully within .text. */
+            if ( orig               < payload->text_addr ||
+                 a->orig_len        > payload->text_size ||
+                 orig + a->orig_len > payload->text_addr + payload->text_size )
+            {
+                printk(XENLOG_ERR LIVEPATCH
+                       "%s Alternative orig %p+%#x outside payload text %p+%#zx\n",
+                       elf->name, orig, a->orig_len,
+                       payload->text_addr, payload->text_size);
+                return -EINVAL;
+            }
 
-            if ( (instr < region->start && instr >= region->end) ||
-                 (replacement < region->start && replacement >= region->end) )
+            /*
+             * repl must be fully within .altinstr_replacement, even if the
+             * replacement and the section happen to both have zero length.
+             */
+            if ( repl               < repl_sec->load_addr ||
+                 a->repl_len        > repl_sec->sec->sh_size ||
+                 repl + a->repl_len > repl_sec->load_addr + repl_sec->sec->sh_size )
             {
-                printk(XENLOG_ERR LIVEPATCH "%s Alt patching outside payload: %p\n",
-                       elf->name, instr);
+                printk(XENLOG_ERR LIVEPATCH
+                       "%s Alternative repl %p+%#x outside .altinstr_replacement %p+%#"PRIxElfWord"\n",
+                       elf->name, repl, a->repl_len,
+                       repl_sec->load_addr, repl_sec->sec->sh_size);
                 return -EINVAL;
             }
         }
         apply_alternatives(start, end);
+    alt_done:;
 #else
         printk(XENLOG_ERR LIVEPATCH "%s: We don't support alternative patching\n",
                elf->name);
diff --git a/xen/include/xen/elfstructs.h b/xen/include/xen/elfstructs.h
index 3124469faeb4..eb6b87a823a8 100644
--- a/xen/include/xen/elfstructs.h
+++ b/xen/include/xen/elfstructs.h
@@ -563,6 +563,7 @@ typedef struct {
 #if defined(ELFSIZE) && (ELFSIZE == 32)
 #define PRIxElfAddr 	PRIx32
 #define PRIuElfWord 	PRIu32
+#define PRIxElfWord 	PRIx32
 
 #define Elf_Ehdr	Elf32_Ehdr
 #define Elf_Phdr	Elf32_Phdr
@@ -591,6 +592,7 @@ typedef struct {
 #elif defined(ELFSIZE) && (ELFSIZE == 64)
 #define PRIxElfAddr	PRIx64
 #define PRIuElfWord	PRIu64
+#define PRIxElfWord	PRIx64
 
 #define Elf_Ehdr	Elf64_Ehdr
 #define Elf_Phdr	Elf64_Phdr
