diff --git a/syft/pkg/cataloger/deb/cataloger.go b/syft/pkg/cataloger/deb/cataloger.go
index 2e54f8698..905d08727 100644
--- a/syft/pkg/cataloger/deb/cataloger.go
+++ b/syft/pkg/cataloger/deb/cataloger.go
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ loopNewFiles:
 }
 
 func getAdditionalFileListing(resolver source.FileResolver, dbLocation source.Location, p *pkg.Package) ([]pkg.DpkgFileRecord, []source.Location) {
-	// ensure the file list is an empty collection (not nil)
+	// ensure the default value for a collection is never nil since this may be shown as JSON
 	var files = make([]pkg.DpkgFileRecord, 0)
 	var locations []source.Location
 
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ func getAdditionalFileListing(resolver source.FileResolver, dbLocation source.Lo
 		files = append(files, parseDpkgConffileInfo(md5Reader)...)
 
 		// keep a record of the file where this was discovered
-		if md5Location != nil {
+		if conffilesLocation != nil {
 			locations = append(locations, *conffilesLocation)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/syft/pkg/cataloger/deb/parse_dpkg_status.go b/syft/pkg/cataloger/deb/parse_dpkg_status.go
index 91f9f0fc5..8992c1836 100644
--- a/syft/pkg/cataloger/deb/parse_dpkg_status.go
+++ b/syft/pkg/cataloger/deb/parse_dpkg_status.go
@@ -61,7 +61,10 @@ func parseDpkgStatusEntry(reader *bufio.Reader) (pkg.DpkgMetadata, error) {
 		retErr = err
 	}
 
-	var entry pkg.DpkgMetadata
+	entry := pkg.DpkgMetadata{
+		// ensure the default value for a collection is never nil since this may be shown as JSON
+		Files: make([]pkg.DpkgFileRecord, 0),
+	}
 	err = mapstructure.Decode(dpkgFields, &entry)
 	if err != nil {
 		return pkg.DpkgMetadata{}, err
@@ -80,11 +83,6 @@ func parseDpkgStatusEntry(reader *bufio.Reader) (pkg.DpkgMetadata, error) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if entry.Files == nil {
-		// ensure that the collection is always allocated
-		entry.Files = make([]pkg.DpkgFileRecord, 0)
-	}
-
 	return entry, retErr
 }