diff --git a/tools/rimage/src/adsp_config.c b/tools/rimage/src/adsp_config.c
index 6cc7434e74bc..931c77e10403 100644
--- a/tools/rimage/src/adsp_config.c
+++ b/tools/rimage/src/adsp_config.c
@@ -2052,7 +2052,7 @@ static int parse_adsp_config_v1_5(const toml_table_t *toml, struct image *image)
 
 		/* assign correct write functions */
 		out->write_firmware = man_write_fw_v1_5_sue;
-		out->write_firmware_meu = man_write_fw_meu_v1_5;
+		out->write_firmware_meu = NULL;
 		out->verify_firmware = ri_manifest_verify_v1_5;
 
 		/* parse others sibtables */
@@ -2235,7 +2235,7 @@ static int parse_adsp_config_ace_v1_5(const toml_table_t *toml, struct image *im
 
 	/* assign correct write functions */
 	out->write_firmware = man_write_fw_ace_v1_5;
-	out->write_firmware_meu = man_write_fw_meu_v2_5;
+	out->write_firmware_meu = NULL;
 	out->verify_firmware = ri_manifest_verify_v2_5;
 
 	/* version array has already been parsed, so increment ctx.array_cnt */
diff --git a/tools/rimage/src/manifest.c b/tools/rimage/src/manifest.c
index 22eddfa00c74..db89d5f699b0 100644
--- a/tools/rimage/src/manifest.c
+++ b/tools/rimage/src/manifest.c
@@ -542,6 +542,11 @@ static int man_module_create_reloc(struct image *image, struct manifest_module *
 	struct elf_section section;
 	int err;
 
+	if (!modules) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "error: relocatable image requires module configuration\n");
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
 	/* load in module manifest data */
 	err = elf_section_read_by_name(&module->file.elf, ".module", &section);
 	if (err) {
@@ -1786,8 +1791,12 @@ int resign_image(struct image *image)
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (i >= size) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "error: didn't found header marker %d\n", i);
+	/* the scan stops a full marker before the end, so a trailing partial word
+	 * leaves the loop index below the size; test the result of the scan itself
+	 */
+	if (!image->fw_image) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "error: could not find valid CSE header $CPD in %s\n",
+			image->in_file);
 		ret = -EINVAL;
 		goto out;
 	}
diff --git a/tools/rimage/src/rimage.c b/tools/rimage/src/rimage.c
index 2245288dfece..0b41905944c2 100644
--- a/tools/rimage/src/rimage.c
+++ b/tools/rimage/src/rimage.c
@@ -202,6 +202,12 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		goto out;
 	}
 
+	if (image.meu_offset && !image.adsp->write_firmware_meu) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "error: MEU signing is not supported for this target\n");
+		ret = -EINVAL;
+		goto out;
+	}
+
 	/* set IMR Type and the PV bit in found machine definition */
 	if (image.adsp->man_v1_8) {
 		if (imr_type_override)
@@ -274,7 +280,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	/* process and write output */
 	if (image.meu_offset) {
-		assert(image.adsp->write_firmware_meu);
 		ret = image.adsp->write_firmware_meu(&image);
 	} else {
 		assert(image.adsp->write_firmware);