diff --git a/g10/ChangeLog b/g10/ChangeLog
index 066c0a657..e9ec15c89 100644
--- a/g10/ChangeLog
+++ b/g10/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,14 @@
+2004-02-14  David Shaw  <dshaw@jabberwocky.com>
+
+	* build-packet.c (write_header2): If a suggested header length is
+	provided along with a zero length, interpret this as an actual
+	zero length packet and not as an indeterminate length packet.
+	(do_comment, do_user_id): Use it here as these packets might be
+	naturally zero length.
+
+	* parse-packet.c (parse): Show packet type when failing due to an
+	indeterminate length packet.
+
 2004-02-11  David Shaw  <dshaw@jabberwocky.com>
 
 	* import.c (import_one): Do the revocation check even in the case
diff --git a/g10/build-packet.c b/g10/build-packet.c
index 3048f284c..5098d9e83 100644
--- a/g10/build-packet.c
+++ b/g10/build-packet.c
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* build-packet.c - assemble packets and write them
- * Copyright (C) 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002,
- *               2003 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+ * Copyright (C) 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003,
+ *               2004 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
  *
  * This file is part of GnuPG.
  *
@@ -194,27 +194,32 @@ write_fake_data( IOBUF out, MPI a )
 static int
 do_comment( IOBUF out, int ctb, PKT_comment *rem )
 {
-    if( opt.sk_comments ) {
-	write_header(out, ctb, rem->len);
+    if( opt.sk_comments )
+      {
+	write_header2(out, ctb, rem->len, 1, 1);
 	if( iobuf_write( out, rem->data, rem->len ) )
-	    return G10ERR_WRITE_FILE;
-    }
+	  return G10ERR_WRITE_FILE;
+      }
     return 0;
 }
 
 static int
 do_user_id( IOBUF out, int ctb, PKT_user_id *uid )
 {
-    if( uid->attrib_data ) {
-	write_header(out, ctb, uid->attrib_len);
+    if( uid->attrib_data )
+      {
+	/* Shouldn't be necessary to force a header here since attribs
+	   can't be of zero length, but it doesn't hurt either. */
+	write_header2(out, ctb, uid->attrib_len, 1, 1);
 	if( iobuf_write( out, uid->attrib_data, uid->attrib_len ) )
-	    return G10ERR_WRITE_FILE;
-    }
-    else {
-	write_header(out, ctb, uid->len);
+	  return G10ERR_WRITE_FILE;
+      }
+    else
+      {
+        write_header2( out, ctb, uid->len, 1, 1 );
 	if( iobuf_write( out, uid->name, uid->len ) )
-	    return G10ERR_WRITE_FILE;
-    }
+	  return G10ERR_WRITE_FILE;
+      }
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -490,8 +495,6 @@ do_symkey_enc( IOBUF out, int ctb, PKT_symkey_enc *enc )
 }
 
 
-
-
 static int
 do_pubkey_enc( IOBUF out, int ctb, PKT_pubkey_enc *enc )
 {
@@ -524,8 +527,6 @@ do_pubkey_enc( IOBUF out, int ctb, PKT_pubkey_enc *enc )
 }
 
 
-
-
 static u32
 calc_plaintext( PKT_plaintext *pt )
 {
@@ -1090,8 +1091,11 @@ write_sign_packet_header( IOBUF out, int ctb, u32 len )
 }
 
 /****************
- * if HDRLEN is > 0, try to build a header of this length.
- * we need this, so that we can hash packets without reading them again.
+ * If HDRLEN is > 0, try to build a header of this length.  We need
+ * this so that we can hash packets without reading them again.  If
+ * len is 0, write a partial or indeterminate length header, unless
+ * hdrlen is specified in which case write an actual zero length
+ * (using the specified hdrlen).
  */
 static int
 write_header2( IOBUF out, int ctb, u32 len, int hdrlen, int blkmode )
@@ -1100,9 +1104,7 @@ write_header2( IOBUF out, int ctb, u32 len, int hdrlen, int blkmode )
 	return write_new_header( out, ctb, len, hdrlen );
 
     if( hdrlen ) {
-	if( !len )
-	    ctb |= 3;
-	else if( hdrlen == 2 && len < 256 )
+        if( hdrlen == 2 && len < 256 )
 	    ;
 	else if( hdrlen == 3 && len < 65536 )
 	    ctb |= 1;
@@ -1121,7 +1123,7 @@ write_header2( IOBUF out, int ctb, u32 len, int hdrlen, int blkmode )
     }
     if( iobuf_put(out, ctb ) )
 	return -1;
-    if( !len ) {
+    if( !len && !hdrlen ) {
 	if( blkmode )
 	    iobuf_set_block_mode(out, 8196 );
     }
diff --git a/g10/parse-packet.c b/g10/parse-packet.c
index e14c0a10e..8383762b7 100644
--- a/g10/parse-packet.c
+++ b/g10/parse-packet.c
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* parse-packet.c  - read packets
- * Copyright (C) 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002,
- *               2003 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+ * Copyright (C) 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003,
+ *               2004 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
  *
  * This file is part of GnuPG.
  *
@@ -384,8 +384,8 @@ parse( IOBUF inp, PACKET *pkt, int onlykeypkts, off_t *retpos,
               break; /* the orginal pgp 2 way. */
 
             default:
-              log_error ("%s: old style partial length "
-                         "for invalid packet type\n", iobuf_where(inp) );
+              log_error ("%s: old style partial length for invalid"
+			 " packet type %d\n", iobuf_where(inp), pkttype );
               rc = G10ERR_INVALID_PACKET;
               goto leave;
             }