diff --git a/profcheck/check.go b/profcheck/check.go
index 31c77c6..1640e76 100644
--- a/profcheck/check.go
+++ b/profcheck/check.go
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ func (c ConformanceChecker) checkStringTable(strTable []string) error {
 
 func (c ConformanceChecker) checkAttributeTable(attrTable []*profiles.KeyValueAndUnit, lenStrTable int) error {
 	var errs error
-	if err := checkZeroVal(attrTable); err != nil {
+	if err := checkAttributeTableZeroVal(attrTable); err != nil {
 		errs = errors.Join(errs, err)
 	}
 	for pos, kvu := range attrTable {
@@ -346,6 +346,25 @@ func (c ConformanceChecker) checkAttributeTable(attrTable []*profiles.KeyValueAn
 	return errs
 }
 
+// checkAttributeTableZeroVal verifies that the AttributeTable meets Profiles
+// dictionary conventions: the slice is not empty and the first entry has zero
+// key and unit indices and the value field holds nil as value.
+func checkAttributeTableZeroVal(attrTable []*profiles.KeyValueAndUnit) error {
+	if len(attrTable) == 0 {
+		return errors.New("empty table, must have at least zero value entry")
+	}
+	first := attrTable[0]
+	if first.KeyStrindex != 0 || first.UnitStrindex != 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("first attribute must have zero key/unit indices, got KeyStrindex=%d, UnitStrindex=%d",
+			first.KeyStrindex, first.UnitStrindex)
+	}
+	value := first.GetValue()
+	if value != nil && value.Value != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("first attribute value must be nil, got %v", value)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (c ConformanceChecker) checkStackTable(stackTable []*profiles.Stack, lenLocTable int) error {
 	var errs error
 	if err := checkZeroVal(stackTable); err != nil {