diff --git a/doc/userguide/rules/transforms.rst b/doc/userguide/rules/transforms.rst
index e536757f29f7..b8e614388272 100644
--- a/doc/userguide/rules/transforms.rst
+++ b/doc/userguide/rules/transforms.rst
@@ -198,6 +198,20 @@ This transform is similar to the keyword ``base64_decode``: the buffer is decode
 the optional values for ``mode``, ``offset`` and ``bytes`` and is available for matching
 on the decoded data.
 
+The optional value ``set_error`` can also be specified; this causes the output buffer to be
+truncated when the input buffer cannot be decoded.  This can be used in situations to determine
+if the content is base64-decoded. The ``absent`` keyword is often combined with use of ``set_error``.
+When ``set_error`` isn't specified (default), the input buffer will be unchanged if it cannot be
+base64-decoded.
+
+This example will alert if the content cannot be base64 decoded::
+
+    alert tcp any any -> any any (msg:"from_base64: no-decode [mode rfc4648]"; flow:to_server,established;  http.uri; content:"/?arg="; from_base64: set_error; absent;  sid:1; rev:1;)
+
+This example will alert if the content cannot be base64 decoded or if the decoded content is `sisatest`::
+
+    alert http any any -> any any (msg:"from_base64: no-decode with or_else [mode rfc4648]"; http.uri; content:"/?arg=dGhpc2lzYXRlc3QK"; from_base64: offset 10; absent: or_else; content:"sisatest"; sid:2; rev:1;)
+
 After this transform completes, the buffer will contain only bytes that could be bases64-decoded.
 If the decoding process encountered invalid bytes, those will not be included in the buffer.
 
@@ -209,12 +223,13 @@ The option values must be ``,`` separated and can appear in any order.
 
 Format::
 
-    from_base64: [[bytes <value>] [, offset <offset_value> [, mode: strict|rfc4648|rfc2045]]]
+    from_base64: [[bytes <value>] [, offset <offset_value> [, mode: strict|rfc4648|rfc2045] [, set_error]]]
 
 There are defaults for each of the options:
 - ``bytes`` defaults to the length of the input buffer
 - ``offset`` defaults to ``0`` and must be less than ``65536``
 - ``mode`` defaults to ``rfc4648``
+- ``set_error`` defaults to off.
 
 Note that both ``bytes`` and ``offset`` may be variables from `byte_extract` and/or `byte_math` in
 later versions of Suricata. They are not supported yet.
@@ -243,3 +258,13 @@ This example transforms `"Zm 9v Ym Fy"` to `"foobar"`::
 
        content:"/?arg=Zm 9v Ym Fy"; from_base64: offset 6, mode rfc2045; \
        content:"foobar";
+
+This example uses ``set_error`` to test if the input is not-base64 encoded::
+
+       content:"Unencoded content"; from_base64: set_error; absent;
+
+This example uses ``set_error`` to test if the input is base64 encoded or matches
+the specified ``content``::
+
+       content:"/?arg=Zm 9v Ym Fy"; from_base64: set_error; \
+       absent: or_else; content: "foobar";
diff --git a/rust/src/detect/transform_base64.rs b/rust/src/detect/transform_base64.rs
index d97fca2f2115..f5206c2acfe0 100644
--- a/rust/src/detect/transform_base64.rs
+++ b/rust/src/detect/transform_base64.rs
@@ -31,12 +31,13 @@ use std::str;
 
 pub const TRANSFORM_FROM_BASE64_MODE_DEFAULT: Base64Mode = Base64Mode::Base64ModeRFC4648;
 
-const DETECT_TRANSFORM_BASE64_MAX_PARAM_COUNT: usize = 3;
+const DETECT_TRANSFORM_BASE64_MAX_PARAM_COUNT: usize = 4;
 pub const DETECT_TRANSFORM_BASE64_FLAG_MODE: u8 = 0x01;
 pub const DETECT_TRANSFORM_BASE64_FLAG_NBYTES: u8 = 0x02;
 pub const DETECT_TRANSFORM_BASE64_FLAG_OFFSET: u8 = 0x04;
 pub const DETECT_TRANSFORM_BASE64_FLAG_OFFSET_VAR: u8 = 0x08;
 pub const DETECT_TRANSFORM_BASE64_FLAG_NBYTES_VAR: u8 = 0x10;
+pub const DETECT_TRANSFORM_BASE64_FLAG_SET_ERROR: u8 = 0x20;
 
 #[repr(C)]
 #[derive(Debug)]
@@ -134,6 +135,14 @@ fn parse_transform_base64(
                 transform_base64.flags |= DETECT_TRANSFORM_BASE64_FLAG_MODE;
             }
 
+            "set_error" => {
+                if 0 != (transform_base64.flags & DETECT_TRANSFORM_BASE64_FLAG_SET_ERROR) {
+                    return Err(make_error("set_error already set".to_string()));
+                }
+
+                transform_base64.flags |= DETECT_TRANSFORM_BASE64_FLAG_SET_ERROR;
+            }
+
             "offset" => {
                 if 0 != (transform_base64.flags & DETECT_TRANSFORM_BASE64_FLAG_OFFSET) {
                     return Err(make_error("offset already set".to_string()));
@@ -300,6 +309,9 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(
             parse_transform_base64("bytes 4, offset 70000, mode strict, mode rfc2045").is_err()
         );
+        assert!(
+            parse_transform_base64("set_error, set_error").is_err()
+        );
     }
 
     #[test]
@@ -399,5 +411,18 @@ mod tests {
                 | DETECT_TRANSFORM_BASE64_FLAG_OFFSET
                 | DETECT_TRANSFORM_BASE64_FLAG_MODE,
         );
+        valid_test(
+            "bytes var, offset 3933, mode rfc4648, set_error",
+            0,
+            "var",
+            3933,
+            "",
+            Base64Mode::Base64ModeRFC4648,
+            DETECT_TRANSFORM_BASE64_FLAG_NBYTES
+                | DETECT_TRANSFORM_BASE64_FLAG_NBYTES_VAR
+                | DETECT_TRANSFORM_BASE64_FLAG_OFFSET
+                | DETECT_TRANSFORM_BASE64_FLAG_MODE
+                | DETECT_TRANSFORM_BASE64_FLAG_SET_ERROR,
+        );
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/detect-engine-content-inspection.c b/src/detect-engine-content-inspection.c
index e43e693b2151..8aafe654caa0 100644
--- a/src/detect-engine-content-inspection.c
+++ b/src/detect-engine-content-inspection.c
@@ -118,8 +118,13 @@ static int DetectEngineContentInspectionInternal(DetectEngineThreadCtx *det_ctx,
         SCReturnInt(-1);
     }
 
+    if (smd == NULL) {
+        KEYWORD_PROFILING_END(det_ctx, smd->type, 0);
+        SCReturnInt(0);
+    }
+
     // we want the ability to match on bsize: 0
-    if (smd == NULL || buffer == NULL) {
+    if (buffer == NULL && smd->type != DETECT_ABSENT) {
         KEYWORD_PROFILING_END(det_ctx, smd->type, 0);
         SCReturnInt(0);
     }
@@ -384,11 +389,11 @@ static int DetectEngineContentInspectionInternal(DetectEngineThreadCtx *det_ctx,
 
     } else if (smd->type == DETECT_ABSENT) {
         const DetectAbsentData *id = (DetectAbsentData *)smd->ctx;
-        if (!id->or_else) {
+        if (id->or_else || buffer_len == 0) {
             // we match only on absent buffer
-            goto no_match;
+            goto match;
         }
-        goto match;
+        goto no_match;
     } else if (smd->type == DETECT_ISDATAAT) {
         SCLogDebug("inspecting isdataat");
 
diff --git a/src/detect-isdataat.c b/src/detect-isdataat.c
index 6bc4e961c07a..dd114515bc8b 100644
--- a/src/detect-isdataat.c
+++ b/src/detect-isdataat.c
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ static int DetectAbsentSetup(DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx, Signature *s, const char *
         return -1;
     }
     if (s->init_data->curbuf == NULL || s->init_data->list != (int)s->init_data->curbuf->id) {
-        SCLogError("unspected buffer for absent keyword");
+        SCLogError("no buffer for absent keyword");
         return -1;
     }
     const DetectBufferType *b = DetectEngineBufferTypeGetById(de_ctx, s->init_data->list);
diff --git a/src/detect-transform-base64.c b/src/detect-transform-base64.c
index e0fbdeeb44d6..d943c0caf0e6 100644
--- a/src/detect-transform-base64.c
+++ b/src/detect-transform-base64.c
@@ -91,7 +91,8 @@ static int DetectTransformFromBase64DecodeSetup(
 
     SCEnter();
 
-    SCDetectTransformFromBase64Data *b64d = DetectTransformFromBase64DecodeParse(opts_str);
+    SCDetectTransformFromBase64Data *b64d =
+            DetectTransformFromBase64DecodeParse(opts_str ? opts_str : "");
     if (b64d == NULL)
         SCReturnInt(r);
 
@@ -151,6 +152,8 @@ static void TransformFromBase64Decode(InspectionBuffer *buffer, void *options)
     if (num_decoded > 0) {
         //            PrintRawDataFp(stdout, output, b64data->decoded_len);
         InspectionBufferCopy(buffer, decoded, num_decoded);
+    } else if (b64d->flags & DETECT_TRANSFORM_BASE64_FLAG_SET_ERROR) {
+        InspectionBufferTruncate(buffer, 0);
     }
 }
 
@@ -355,6 +358,28 @@ static int DetectTransformFromBase64DecodeTest08(void)
     InspectionBufferFree(&buffer);
     PASS;
 }
+
+/* input is not base64 encoded with set_error */
+static int DetectTransformFromBase64DecodeTest09(void)
+{
+    /* A portion of this string will be decoded */
+    const uint8_t *input = (const uint8_t *)"This is not base64-encoded";
+    uint32_t input_len = strlen((char *)input);
+
+    SCDetectTransformFromBase64Data b64d = { .nbytes = input_len,
+        .mode = Base64ModeRFC2045,
+        .flags = DETECT_TRANSFORM_BASE64_FLAG_SET_ERROR };
+
+    InspectionBuffer buffer;
+    InspectionBufferInit(&buffer, input_len);
+    InspectionBufferSetup(NULL, -1, &buffer, input, input_len);
+    // PrintRawDataFp(stdout, buffer.inspect, buffer.inspect_len);
+    TransformFromBase64Decode(&buffer, &b64d);
+    FAIL_IF_NOT(buffer.inspect_len == 15);
+    // PrintRawDataFp(stdout, buffer.inspect, buffer.inspect_len);
+    InspectionBufferFree(&buffer);
+    PASS;
+}
 static void DetectTransformFromBase64DecodeRegisterTests(void)
 {
     UtRegisterTest("DetectTransformFromBase64DecodeTest01", DetectTransformFromBase64DecodeTest01);
@@ -367,5 +392,6 @@ static void DetectTransformFromBase64DecodeRegisterTests(void)
     UtRegisterTest("DetectTransformFromBase64DecodeTest06", DetectTransformFromBase64DecodeTest06);
     UtRegisterTest("DetectTransformFromBase64DecodeTest07", DetectTransformFromBase64DecodeTest07);
     UtRegisterTest("DetectTransformFromBase64DecodeTest08", DetectTransformFromBase64DecodeTest08);
+    UtRegisterTest("DetectTransformFromBase64DecodeTest09", DetectTransformFromBase64DecodeTest09);
 }
 #endif