diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/upas/fs/dat.h b/sys/src/cmd/upas/fs/dat.h
index 3e3fb48bb..f4543e22f 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/upas/fs/dat.h
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/upas/fs/dat.h
@@ -129,7 +129,6 @@ struct Message {
 	char	converted;
 	char	encoding;
 	char	decoded;
-	char	mimeflag;
 
 	Message	*next;
 	Message	*part;
diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/upas/fs/fs.c b/sys/src/cmd/upas/fs/fs.c
index c1e3109b3..c77d25462 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/upas/fs/fs.c
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/upas/fs/fs.c
@@ -1517,12 +1517,12 @@ struct Ignorance
 	char	*str;
 	int	len;
 };
-Ignorance *ignorance;
+static Ignorance *ignorance;
 
 /*
  *  read the file of headers to ignore
  */
-void
+static void
 readignore(void)
 {
 	char *p;
@@ -1554,14 +1554,14 @@ readignore(void)
 	Bterm(b);
 }
 
-int
-ignore(char *p)
+static int
+ignore(char *p, int n)
 {
 	Ignorance *i;
 
 	readignore();
 	for(i = ignorance; i != nil; i = i->next)
-		if(cistrncmp(i->str, p, i->len) == 0)
+		if(i->len <= n && cistrncmp(i->str, p, i->len) == 0)
 			return 1;
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -1580,9 +1580,9 @@ readheader(Message *m, char *buf, int off, int cnt)
 
 	/* copy in good headers */
 	while(cnt > 0 && p < e){
-		n = hdrlen(p, e);
-		assert(n > 0);
-		if(ignore(p)){
+		if((n = hdrlen(p, e)) <= 0)
+			break;
+		if(ignore(p, n)){
 			p += n;
 			continue;
 		}
diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/upas/fs/header.c b/sys/src/cmd/upas/fs/header.c
index c6ffe8216..b55415018 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/upas/fs/header.c
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/upas/fs/header.c
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ hdrlen(char *p, char *e)
 
 	ep = p;
 	do {
-		ep = strchr(ep, '\n');
+		ep = memchr(ep, '\n', e - ep);
 		if(ep == nil){
 			ep = e;
 			break;
diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/upas/fs/mbox.c b/sys/src/cmd/upas/fs/mbox.c
index 5fa9898e6..0c7f440ff 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/upas/fs/mbox.c
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/upas/fs/mbox.c
@@ -393,8 +393,6 @@ haschild(Message *m, int i)
 {
 	for(m = m->part; m && i; i--)
 		m = m->next;
-	if(m)
-		m->mimeflag = 0;
 	return m;
 }
 
@@ -426,11 +424,8 @@ parseattachments(Message *m, Mailbox *mb)
 			}
 			/* no boundary, we're done */
 			if(x == nil){
-				if(nm != nil){
+				if(nm != nil)
 					nm->rbend = nm->bend = nm->end = m->bend;
-					if(nm->end == nm->start)
-						nm->mimeflag |= Mtrunc;
-				}
 				break;
 			}
 			/* boundary must be at the start of a line */
@@ -475,8 +470,6 @@ parseattachments(Message *m, Mailbox *mb)
 		assert(nm->ballocd == 0);
 		nm->start = nm->header = nm->body = nm->rbody = m->body;
 		nm->end = nm->bend = nm->rbend = m->bend;
-		if(nm->end == nm->start)
-			nm->mimeflag |= Mtrunc;
 		nm->size = nm->end - nm->start;
 		parse(mb, nm, 0, 0);
 		cachehash(mb, nm);			/* botchy place for this */
@@ -497,7 +490,7 @@ parseheaders(Mailbox *mb, Message *m, int addfrom, int justmime)
 		i0 = Mhead;
 	s = emalloc(2048);
 	e = s + 2048 - 1;
-	while((n = hdrlen(p, m->end)) != 0){
+	while((n = hdrlen(p, m->end)) > 0){
 		if(n > e - s){
 			s = erealloc(s, n);
 			e = s + n - 1;
@@ -598,7 +591,6 @@ void
 parse(Mailbox *mb, Message *m, int addfrom, int justmime)
 {
 	sanemsg(m);
-	assert(m->end - m->start > 0 || (m->mimeflag&Mtrunc) != 0 && m->end - m->start == 0);
 	if((m->cstate & Cheader) == 0)
 		parseheaders(mb, m, addfrom, justmime);
 	parsebody(m, mb);