diff --git a/WORKSPACE.bazel b/WORKSPACE.bazel
index 290ccc3..de20e44 100644
--- a/WORKSPACE.bazel
+++ b/WORKSPACE.bazel
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+workspace(name = "starflate")
+
 load("@bazel_tools//tools/build_defs/repo:http.bzl", "http_archive")
 
 COMMON_CXX_FLAGS = ["-march=native"]
@@ -35,6 +37,34 @@ host_system_libraries(
 
 load("@host_system_libraries//:defs.bzl", "HOST_SYSTEM_LIBRARIES")
 
+# Pull in rules_cc and patch it to inject options to the `copts` attribute of
+# `cc_{binary,library,test}`. This is used to disable UBSan null pointer checks
+# with GCC as enabling these features will reject valid code:
+#
+# https://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=67762#c2
+# https://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=71962
+#
+# Note that we cannot set these options in toolchain registration
+# (bootlin_toolchain below) as the sanitize feature disable flags will precede
+# `-fsanitize=undefined` from `--features=ubsan` and thus be ignored.
+#
+# https://clang.llvm.org/docs/UndefinedBehaviorSanitizer.html#id3
+#
+# The patched cc_* rules adds the sanitize feature disable flags in `copts` only
+# for GCC + UBSan builds. As these are set in `user_compile_flags`, these
+# options follow `-fsanitize=undefined` when present.
+#
+# https://bazel.build/rules/lib/toplevel/cc_common#parameters_5
+#
+http_archive(
+    name = "rules_cc",
+    patch_args = ["-p1"],
+    patches = ["//toolchain:rules_cc-gcc-ubsan-no-sanitize-null.patch"],
+    sha256 = "2037875b9a4456dce4a79d112a8ae885bbc4aad968e6587dca6e64f3a0900cdf",
+    strip_prefix = "rules_cc-0.0.9",
+    urls = ["https://github.com/bazelbuild/rules_cc/releases/download/0.0.9/rules_cc-0.0.9.tar.gz"],
+)
+
 # Note: not correct on MacOS.
 LLVM_COLOR_FLAGS = ["-fdiagnostics-color=always" if "libinfo.so.5" in HOST_SYSTEM_LIBRARIES else ""]
 
diff --git a/toolchain/BUILD.bazel b/toolchain/BUILD.bazel
index 6d732e3..3ee7e85 100644
--- a/toolchain/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/toolchain/BUILD.bazel
@@ -31,6 +31,21 @@ config_setting(
     constraint_values = ["@platforms//os:linux"],
 )
 
+# used to disable UBSan null pointer checks with GCC in a patched version of
+# rules_cc
+#
+# https://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=67762#c2
+# https://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=71962
+config_setting(
+    name = "gcc_with_ubsan",
+    flag_values = {
+        "@bazel_tools//tools/cpp:compiler": "gcc",
+    },
+    values = {
+        "features": "ubsan",
+    },
+)
+
 linux_only = select({
     "linux": [],
     "//conditions:default": ["@platforms//:incompatible"],
diff --git a/toolchain/rules_cc-gcc-ubsan-no-sanitize-null.patch b/toolchain/rules_cc-gcc-ubsan-no-sanitize-null.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b7c6969
--- /dev/null
+++ b/toolchain/rules_cc-gcc-ubsan-no-sanitize-null.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+diff --git a/cc/defs.bzl b/cc/defs.bzl
+index a3acac7..53ee96e 100644
+--- a/cc/defs.bzl
++++ b/cc/defs.bzl
+@@ -46,6 +46,18 @@ def _add_tags(attrs, is_binary = False):
+ 
+     return attrs
+ 
++def _gcc_no_sanitize_null(attrs):
++    attrs["copts"] = (
++        attrs.get("copts", []) +
++                              select({
++                                  "@starflate//toolchain:gcc_with_ubsan": [
++                                      "-fno-sanitize=null,returns-nonnull-attribute,nonnull-attribute",
++                                  ],
++                                  "//conditions:default": [],
++                              })
++    )
++    return attrs
++
+ def cc_binary(**attrs):
+     """Bazel cc_binary rule.
+ 
+@@ -56,7 +68,7 @@ def cc_binary(**attrs):
+     """
+ 
+     # buildifier: disable=native-cc
+-    native.cc_binary(**_add_tags(attrs, True))
++    native.cc_binary(**_add_tags(_gcc_no_sanitize_null(attrs), True))
+ 
+ def cc_test(**attrs):
+     """Bazel cc_test rule.
+@@ -68,7 +80,7 @@ def cc_test(**attrs):
+     """
+ 
+     # buildifier: disable=native-cc
+-    native.cc_test(**_add_tags(attrs, True))
++    native.cc_test(**_add_tags(_gcc_no_sanitize_null(attrs), True))
+ 
+ def cc_library(**attrs):
+     """Bazel cc_library rule.
+@@ -80,7 +92,7 @@ def cc_library(**attrs):
+     """
+ 
+     # buildifier: disable=native-cc
+-    native.cc_library(**_add_tags(attrs))
++    native.cc_library(**_add_tags(_gcc_no_sanitize_null(attrs)))
+ 
+ def cc_import(**attrs):
+     """Bazel cc_import rule.