diff --git a/THANKS b/THANKS
index 86d1c1997..8eb405b66 100644
--- a/THANKS
+++ b/THANKS
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ Fabio Coatti		   cova@ferrara.linux.it
 Felix von Leitner	   leitner@amdiv.de
 fish stiqz                 fish@analog.org
 Florian Weimer             Florian.Weimer@rus.uni-stuttgart.de
+Francesco Potorti          pot@gnu.org
 Frank Donahoe		   fdonahoe@wilkes1.wilkes.edu
 Frank Heckenbach	   heckenb@mi.uni-erlangen.de
 Frank Stajano		   frank.stajano@cl.cam.ac.uk
diff --git a/g10/ChangeLog b/g10/ChangeLog
index 03a52b153..af3e65bf7 100644
--- a/g10/ChangeLog
+++ b/g10/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2001-06-15  Werner Koch  <wk@gnupg.org>
+
+	* getkey.c (merge_selfsigs): Exit gracefully when a secret key is
+	encountered.  May happen if a secret key is in public keyring.
+	Reported by Francesco Potorti.
+	
 2001-06-12  Werner Koch  <wk@gnupg.org>
 
 	* getkey.c (compare_name): Use ascii_memistr(), ascii_memcasecmp()
diff --git a/g10/getkey.c b/g10/getkey.c
index bd21f956f..96ab714b5 100644
--- a/g10/getkey.c
+++ b/g10/getkey.c
@@ -1807,8 +1807,17 @@ merge_selfsigs( KBNODE keyblock )
     int revoked;
     PKT_public_key *main_pk;
 
-    if ( keyblock->pkt->pkttype != PKT_PUBLIC_KEY )
+    if ( keyblock->pkt->pkttype != PKT_PUBLIC_KEY ) {
+        if (keyblock->pkt->pkttype == PKT_SECRET_KEY ) {
+            log_error ("expected public key but found secret key "
+                       "- must stop\n");
+            /* we better exit here becuase a public key is expected at
+               other places too.  FIXME: Figure this out earlier and
+               don't get to here at all */
+            g10_exit (1);
+        }
         BUG ();
+    }
 
     merge_selfsigs_main ( keyblock, &revoked );
     main_pk = keyblock->pkt->pkt.public_key;