diff --git a/Lib/email/_header_value_parser.py b/Lib/email/_header_value_parser.py
index 792072ab9f6128..92bc8f0f797851 100644
--- a/Lib/email/_header_value_parser.py
+++ b/Lib/email/_header_value_parser.py
@@ -580,6 +580,8 @@ def display_name(self):
             return res.value
         if res[0].token_type == 'cfws':
             res.pop(0)
+            if len(res) == 0:
+                return res.value
         else:
             if (isinstance(res[0], TokenList) and
                     res[0][0].token_type == 'cfws'):
@@ -730,6 +732,8 @@ class Value(TokenList):
 
     @property
     def stripped_value(self):
+        if not self:
+            return self.value
         token = self[0]
         if token.token_type == 'cfws':
             token = self[1]
@@ -2511,7 +2515,7 @@ def get_parameter(value):
             param.append(ValueTerminal('*', 'extended-parameter-marker'))
             value = value[1:]
             param.extended = True
-    if value[0] != '=':
+    if not value or value[0] != '=':
         raise errors.HeaderParseError("Parameter not followed by '='")
     param.append(ValueTerminal('=', 'parameter-separator'))
     value = value[1:]
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_email/test__header_value_parser.py b/Lib/test/test_email/test__header_value_parser.py
index 9d9fe418ee4d06..5b66441502b768 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_email/test__header_value_parser.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_email/test__header_value_parser.py
@@ -1862,6 +1862,15 @@ def test_get_display_name_for_invalid_address_field(self):
             ':Foo ', '', '', [errors.InvalidHeaderDefect], ':Foo ')
         self.assertEqual(display_name.value, '')
 
+    def test_get_display_name_comment_only(self):
+        # gh-151857: a comment-only (CFWS) display name raised IndexError.
+        display_name = self._test_get_x(
+            parser.get_display_name,
+            '(c)', '(c)', ' "" ',
+            [errors.InvalidHeaderDefect, errors.ObsoleteHeaderDefect], '')
+        self.assertEqual(display_name.display_name, '')
+        self.assertEqual(display_name.value, ' "" ')
+
     # get_name_addr
 
     def test_get_name_addr_angle_addr_only(self):
@@ -3144,6 +3153,45 @@ def mime_parameters_as_value(self,
             'r*=\'a\'"',
             [('r', '"')],
             [errors.InvalidHeaderDefect]*2),
+
+        # gh-151857: a parameter name ending in the extended marker '*' with
+        # no value used to raise an uncaught IndexError instead of a defect.
+        'extended_marker_no_value': (
+            'name*',
+            '',
+            'name*',
+            [],
+            [errors.InvalidHeaderDefect]),
+
+        'extended_marker_no_value_sectioned': (
+            'name*0*',
+            '',
+            'name*0*',
+            [],
+            [errors.InvalidHeaderDefect]),
+
+        'extended_marker_no_value_after_param': (
+            'x=1; name*',
+            ' x="1"',
+            'x=1; name*',
+            [('x', '1')],
+            [errors.InvalidHeaderDefect]),
+
+        # gh-151857: a quoted extended value holding only the RFC 2231
+        # delimiters used to raise an uncaught IndexError.
+        'extended_quoted_delimiters_only': (
+            'name*="\'"',
+            ' name',
+            "name*=''",
+            [('name', '')],
+            [errors.InvalidHeaderDefect]),
+
+        'extended_quoted_charset_delimiters_only': (
+            'name*="us-ascii\'\'"',
+            ' name',
+            "name*=us-ascii''",
+            [('name', '')],
+            [errors.InvalidHeaderDefect]),
     }
 
 @parameterize
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_email/test_headerregistry.py b/Lib/test/test_email/test_headerregistry.py
index aa918255d15c37..14c66dfad44453 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_email/test_headerregistry.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_email/test_headerregistry.py
@@ -598,6 +598,17 @@ def content_type_as_value(self,
             'text/plain; name="This is even more ***fun*** is it not.pdf"',
             ),
 
+        # gh-151857: used to raise IndexError.
+        'rfc2231_double_quoted_delimiter_only': (
+            'text/plain; name*="\'"',
+            'text/plain',
+            'text',
+            'plain',
+            {'name': ''},
+            [errors.InvalidHeaderDefect],
+            'text/plain; name',
+            ),
+
         'rfc2231_single_quote_inside_double_quotes': (
             ('text/plain; charset=us-ascii;'
                '\ttitle*0*="us-ascii\'en\'This%20is%20really%20";'
@@ -1426,6 +1437,15 @@ def test_groups_types(self):
         self.assertIsInstance(h.groups, tuple)
         self.assertIsInstance(h.groups[0], Group)
 
+    def test_comment_only_group_display_name(self):
+        # gh-151857: a comment-only group display name raised IndexError.
+        h = self.make_header('to', '(c):')
+        self.assertEqual(h.groups[0].display_name, '')
+        self.assertEqual(h.addresses, ())
+        h = self.make_header('cc', '(x): a@b.com;')
+        self.assertEqual(h.groups[0].display_name, '')
+        self.assertEqual(h.addresses[0].addr_spec, 'a@b.com')
+
     def test_set_from_Address(self):
         h = self.make_header('to', Address('me', 'foo', 'example.com'))
         self.assertEqual(h, 'me <foo@example.com>')
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-06-22-10-00-00.gh-issue-151857.3j9GAn.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-06-22-10-00-00.gh-issue-151857.3j9GAn.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..9bfe30f9ec8e06
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-06-22-10-00-00.gh-issue-151857.3j9GAn.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+Fixed three cases where the :mod:`email` header parser (under
+:class:`~email.policy.EmailPolicy`) raised an uncaught :exc:`IndexError` on
+malformed input: a MIME parameter name ending with ``*``, an empty quoted
+RFC 2231 extended value, and an address header whose display name is only a
+comment.