diff --git a/tests/component/updater_test.cpp b/tests/component/updater_test.cpp
index 6f3a3a2..fe4f45e 100644
--- a/tests/component/updater_test.cpp
+++ b/tests/component/updater_test.cpp
@@ -100,7 +100,8 @@
 }
 
 static void RunBlockImageUpdate(bool is_verify, const PackageEntries& entries,
-                                const std::string& image_file, const std::string& result) {
+                                const std::string& image_file, const std::string& result,
+                                CauseCode cause_code = kNoCause) {
   CHECK(entries.find("transfer_list") != entries.end());
 
   // Build the update package.
@@ -124,7 +125,7 @@
   std::string script = is_verify ? "block_image_verify" : "block_image_update";
   script += R"((")" + image_file + R"(", package_extract_file("transfer_list"), ")" + new_data +
             R"(", "patch_data"))";
-  expect(result.c_str(), script.c_str(), kNoCause, &updater_info);
+  expect(result.c_str(), script.c_str(), cause_code, &updater_info);
 
   ASSERT_EQ(0, fclose(updater_info.cmd_pipe));
   CloseArchive(handle);
@@ -504,6 +505,24 @@
   ASSERT_EQ(0, fclose(updater_info.cmd_pipe));
 }
 
+TEST_F(UpdaterTest, block_image_update_parsing_error) {
+  std::vector<std::string> transfer_list{
+    // clang-format off
+    "4",
+    "2",
+    "0",
+    // clang-format on
+  };
+
+  PackageEntries entries{
+    { "new_data", "" },
+    { "patch_data", "" },
+    { "transfer_list", android::base::Join(transfer_list, '\n') },
+  };
+
+  RunBlockImageUpdate(false, entries, image_file_, "", kArgsParsingFailure);
+}
+
 TEST_F(UpdaterTest, block_image_update_patch_data) {
   std::string src_content = std::string(4096, 'a') + std::string(4096, 'c');
   std::string tgt_content = std::string(4096, 'b') + std::string(4096, 'd');
diff --git a/updater/blockimg.cpp b/updater/blockimg.cpp
index f2811bc..1646b7c 100644
--- a/updater/blockimg.cpp
+++ b/updater/blockimg.cpp
@@ -1628,9 +1628,10 @@
     }
   }
 
+  static constexpr size_t kTransferListHeaderLines = 4;
   std::vector<std::string> lines = android::base::Split(transfer_list_value->data, "\n");
-  if (lines.size() < 2) {
-    ErrorAbort(state, kArgsParsingFailure, "too few lines in the transfer list [%zd]",
+  if (lines.size() < kTransferListHeaderLines) {
+    ErrorAbort(state, kArgsParsingFailure, "too few lines in the transfer list [%zu]",
                lines.size());
     return StringValue("");
   }
@@ -1654,12 +1655,6 @@
     return StringValue("t");
   }
 
-  if (lines.size() < 4) {
-    ErrorAbort(state, kArgsParsingFailure, "too few lines in the transfer list [%zu]",
-               lines.size());
-    return StringValue("");
-  }
-
   // Third line is how many stash entries are needed simultaneously.
   LOG(INFO) << "maximum stash entries " << lines[2];
 
@@ -1698,7 +1693,6 @@
 
   int rc = -1;
 
-  static constexpr size_t kTransferListHeaderLines = 4;
   // Subsequent lines are all individual transfer commands
   for (size_t i = kTransferListHeaderLines; i < lines.size(); i++) {
     const std::string& line = lines[i];