diff --git a/drivers/i3c/i3c_common.c b/drivers/i3c/i3c_common.c
index 2f1b402a6eec..33ee8029c388 100644
--- a/drivers/i3c/i3c_common.c
+++ b/drivers/i3c/i3c_common.c
@@ -772,7 +772,7 @@ int i3c_device_adv_info_get(struct i3c_device_desc *target)
 	struct i3c_ccc_mwl mwl = {0};
 	union i3c_ccc_getcaps caps = {0};
 	union i3c_ccc_getmxds mxds = {0};
-	int ret;
+	int ret = -EIO;
 
 	/* GETMRL */
 	if (i3c_ccc_do_getmrl(target, &mrl) != 0) {
diff --git a/drivers/i3c/i3c_rtio.c b/drivers/i3c/i3c_rtio.c
index 60aaf2de9e81..8aef69b8dda5 100644
--- a/drivers/i3c/i3c_rtio.c
+++ b/drivers/i3c/i3c_rtio.c
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
  */
 
+#include <zephyr/toolchain.h>
 #include <zephyr/drivers/i3c.h>
 #include <zephyr/drivers/i3c/rtio.h>
 #include <zephyr/rtio/rtio.h>
@@ -182,7 +183,11 @@ int i3c_rtio_configure(struct i3c_rtio *ctx, enum i3c_config_type type, void *co
 	rtio_submit(r, 1);
 
 	cqe = rtio_cqe_consume(r);
-	res = cqe->result;
+	if (unlikely(cqe != NULL)) {
+		res = cqe->result;
+	} else {
+		res = -EIO;
+	}
 	rtio_cqe_release(r, cqe);
 
 out:
@@ -214,7 +219,11 @@ int i3c_rtio_ccc(struct i3c_rtio *ctx, struct i3c_ccc_payload *payload)
 	rtio_submit(r, 1);
 
 	cqe = rtio_cqe_consume(r);
-	res = cqe->result;
+	if (unlikely(cqe != NULL)) {
+		res = cqe->result;
+	} else {
+		res = -EIO;
+	}
 	rtio_cqe_release(r, cqe);
 
 out:
@@ -245,7 +254,11 @@ int i3c_rtio_recover(struct i3c_rtio *ctx)
 	rtio_submit(r, 1);
 
 	cqe = rtio_cqe_consume(r);
-	res = cqe->result;
+	if (unlikely(cqe != NULL)) {
+		res = cqe->result;
+	} else {
+		res = -EIO;
+	}
 	rtio_cqe_release(r, cqe);
 
 out: