diff --git a/src/rose/program_runtime.h b/src/rose/program_runtime.h
index 8f4c528d..7172f6aa 100644
--- a/src/rose/program_runtime.h
+++ b/src/rose/program_runtime.h
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 #include "miracle.h"
 #include "report.h"
 #include "rose.h"
+#include "rose_common.h"
 #include "rose_internal.h"
 #include "rose_program.h"
 #include "rose_types.h"
@@ -1501,6 +1502,7 @@ hwlmcb_rv_t roseRunProgram_i(const struct RoseEngine *t,
     DEBUG_PRINTF("program=%u, offsets [%llu,%llu], flags=%u\n", programOffset,
                  som, end, prog_flags);
 
+    assert(programOffset != ROSE_INVALID_PROG_OFFSET);
     assert(programOffset >= sizeof(struct RoseEngine));
     assert(programOffset < t->size);
 
diff --git a/src/rose/rose_build_impl.h b/src/rose/rose_build_impl.h
index 9eba29f0..8748a08c 100644
--- a/src/rose/rose_build_impl.h
+++ b/src/rose/rose_build_impl.h
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 
 #include "rose_build.h"
 #include "rose_build_util.h"
+#include "rose_common.h"
 #include "rose_graph.h"
 #include "nfa/mpvcompile.h"
 #include "nfa/goughcompile.h"
@@ -441,8 +442,8 @@ struct LitFragment {
         : fragment_id(fragment_id_in), groups(groups_in) {}
     u32 fragment_id;
     rose_group groups;
-    u32 lit_program_offset = 0;
-    u32 delay_program_offset = 0;
+    u32 lit_program_offset = ROSE_INVALID_PROG_OFFSET;
+    u32 delay_program_offset = ROSE_INVALID_PROG_OFFSET;
 };
 
 // Concrete impl class
diff --git a/src/rose/rose_common.h b/src/rose/rose_common.h
index 3249f0b8..c0250aa5 100644
--- a/src/rose/rose_common.h
+++ b/src/rose/rose_common.h
@@ -41,4 +41,7 @@
 /** \brief Length in bytes of a reach bitvector, used by the lookaround code. */
 #define REACH_BITVECTOR_LEN 32
 
+/** \brief Value used to represent an invalid Rose program offset. */
+#define ROSE_INVALID_PROG_OFFSET 0
+
 #endif // ROSE_COMMON_H