diff --git a/api/mfile.C b/api/mfile.C
index 5eda10a3e9..cab35c78ff 100644
--- a/api/mfile.C
+++ b/api/mfile.C
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ int MFILE::printf(const char* format, ...) {
     va_end(ap);
     n = strlen(buf2);
     buf = (char*)realloc(buf, len+n);
+    if(!buf) return -1;
     strncpy(buf+len, buf2, n);
     len += n;
     return k;
@@ -53,6 +54,7 @@ int MFILE::printf(const char* format, ...) {
 
 size_t MFILE::write(const void *ptr, size_t size, size_t nitems) {
     buf = (char *)realloc( buf, len+(size*nitems) );
+    if(!buf) return -1;
     memcpy( buf+len, ptr, size*nitems );
     len += size*nitems;
     return nitems;
@@ -60,6 +62,7 @@ size_t MFILE::write(const void *ptr, size_t size, size_t nitems) {
 
 int MFILE::_putchar(char c) {
     buf = (char*)realloc(buf, len+1);
+    if(!buf) return EOF;
     buf[len] = c;
     len++;
     return c;
@@ -68,9 +71,10 @@ int MFILE::_putchar(char c) {
 int MFILE::puts(const char* p) {
     int n = strlen(p);
     buf = (char*)realloc(buf, len+n);
+    if(!buf) return EOF;
     strncpy(buf+len, p, n);
     len += n;
-    return 0;
+    return n;
 }
 
 int MFILE::close() {
diff --git a/checkin_notes b/checkin_notes
index 6ceee69fa4..4e5e273b56 100755
--- a/checkin_notes
+++ b/checkin_notes
@@ -8774,6 +8774,24 @@ Gary    25 Dec 2003
     - BOINC release 2.16 for windows, Linux, solaris, mac os x 10.3
        (os x 10.2 compatability will come soon)
 
+Jeff  30 Dec 2003
+    - Check for buffer reallocation errors in MFILE functions and return values 
+      that mimic the normal system versions of these functions. 
+
+      Functions that were changed:  * indicates a change.
+	function		successful return	failure return
+	--------------		------------------	--------------
+	MFILE::printf()		num bytes output	-1 *
+	MFILE::write()		num bytes output	-1 *
+	MFILE::putchar(c)	c     			EOF *
+	MFILE::puts(s)		strlen(s) *		EOF *
+
+      MFILE::puts() used to return 0 on success.  I greped both astropulse
+      and seti_boinc code and found no current use of this function.
+
+    api/
+	mfile.C
+     
 David  30 Dec 2003
     - added optional <disabled>1</disabled> flag to daemons and tasks
         in config.xml.  (would prefer "<disabled/>", but couldn't