diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index ddfa8af44..6992a01b8 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@
      [session.c]
      Do not allow logins if /etc/nologin exists but is not readable by the user
      logging in.  Noted by Jan.Pechanec at Sun, ok djm@ deraadt@
+   - djm@cvs.openbsd.org 2010/01/12 01:36:08
+     [buffer.h bufaux.c]
+     add a buffer_get_string_ptr_ret() that does the same as
+     buffer_get_string_ptr() but does not fatal() on error; ok dtucker@
 
 20100110
  - (dtucker) [configure.ac misc.c readconf.c servconf.c ssh-keyscan.c]
diff --git a/bufaux.c b/bufaux.c
index cd9a35ded..e17f001e1 100644
--- a/bufaux.c
+++ b/bufaux.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* $OpenBSD: bufaux.c,v 1.46 2008/06/10 23:21:34 dtucker Exp $ */
+/* $OpenBSD: bufaux.c,v 1.47 2010/01/12 01:36:08 djm Exp $ */
 /*
  * Author: Tatu Ylonen <ylo@cs.hut.fi>
  * Copyright (c) 1995 Tatu Ylonen <ylo@cs.hut.fi>, Espoo, Finland
@@ -198,14 +198,17 @@ buffer_get_string(Buffer *buffer, u_int *length_ptr)
 }
 
 void *
-buffer_get_string_ptr(Buffer *buffer, u_int *length_ptr)
+buffer_get_string_ptr_ret(Buffer *buffer, u_int *length_ptr)
 {
 	void *ptr;
 	u_int len;
 
-	len = buffer_get_int(buffer);
-	if (len > 256 * 1024)
-		fatal("buffer_get_string_ptr: bad string length %u", len);
+	if (buffer_get_int_ret(&len, buffer) != 0)
+		return NULL;
+	if (len > 256 * 1024) {
+		error("buffer_get_string_ptr: bad string length %u", len);
+		return NULL;
+	}
 	ptr = buffer_ptr(buffer);
 	buffer_consume(buffer, len);
 	if (length_ptr)
@@ -213,6 +216,16 @@ buffer_get_string_ptr(Buffer *buffer, u_int *length_ptr)
 	return (ptr);
 }
 
+void *
+buffer_get_string_ptr(Buffer *buffer, u_int *length_ptr)
+{
+	void *ret;
+
+	if ((ret = buffer_get_string_ptr_ret(buffer, length_ptr)) == NULL)
+		fatal("buffer_get_string_ptr: buffer error");
+	return (ret);
+}
+
 /*
  * Stores and arbitrary binary string in the buffer.
  */
diff --git a/buffer.h b/buffer.h
index d0f354ee7..ecad28973 100644
--- a/buffer.h
+++ b/buffer.h
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* $OpenBSD: buffer.h,v 1.17 2008/05/08 06:59:01 markus Exp $ */
+/* $OpenBSD: buffer.h,v 1.18 2010/01/12 01:36:08 djm Exp $ */
 
 /*
  * Author: Tatu Ylonen <ylo@cs.hut.fi>
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ int	buffer_get_short_ret(u_short *, Buffer *);
 int	buffer_get_int_ret(u_int *, Buffer *);
 int	buffer_get_int64_ret(u_int64_t *, Buffer *);
 void	*buffer_get_string_ret(Buffer *, u_int *);
+void	*buffer_get_string_ptr_ret(Buffer *, u_int *);
 int	buffer_get_char_ret(char *, Buffer *);
 
 #endif				/* BUFFER_H */