diff --git a/src/interfaces/ecpg/ecpglib/data.c b/src/interfaces/ecpg/ecpglib/data.c
index 5aa46b94dde..fe258dba8f8 100644
--- a/src/interfaces/ecpg/ecpglib/data.c
+++ b/src/interfaces/ecpg/ecpglib/data.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/interfaces/ecpg/ecpglib/data.c,v 1.20.2.1 2003/11/12 08:42:57 meskes Exp $ */
+/* $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/interfaces/ecpg/ecpglib/data.c,v 1.20.2.2 2005/08/24 10:35:54 meskes Exp $ */
 
 #define POSTGRES_ECPG_INTERNAL
 #include "postgres_fe.h"
@@ -46,29 +46,6 @@ ECPGget_data(const PGresult *results, int act_tuple, int act_field, int lineno,
 
 	ECPGlog("ECPGget_data line %d: RESULT: %s offset: %ld array: %d\n", lineno, pval ? pval : "", offset, isarray);
 
-	/* pval is a pointer to the value */
-	/* let's check if it really is an array if it should be one */
-	if (isarray == ECPG_ARRAY_ARRAY)
-	{
-		if (*pval != '{')
-		{
-			ECPGraise(lineno, ECPG_DATA_NOT_ARRAY, ECPG_SQLSTATE_DATATYPE_MISMATCH, NULL);
-			return (false);
-		}
-
-		switch (type)
-		{
-			case ECPGt_char:
-			case ECPGt_unsigned_char:
-			case ECPGt_varchar:
-				break;
-
-			default:
-				pval++;
-				break;
-		}
-	}
-
 	/* We will have to decode the value */
 
 	/*
@@ -125,6 +102,29 @@ ECPGget_data(const PGresult *results, int act_tuple, int act_field, int lineno,
 	if (value_for_indicator == -1)
 		return (true);
 
+	/* pval is a pointer to the value */
+	/* let's check if it really is an array if it should be one */
+	if (isarray == ECPG_ARRAY_ARRAY)
+	{
+		if (*pval != '{')
+		{
+			ECPGraise(lineno, ECPG_DATA_NOT_ARRAY, ECPG_SQLSTATE_DATATYPE_MISMATCH, NULL);
+			return (false);
+		}
+
+		switch (type)
+		{
+			case ECPGt_char:
+			case ECPGt_unsigned_char:
+			case ECPGt_varchar:
+				break;
+
+			default:
+				pval++;
+				break;
+		}
+	}
+
 	do
 	{
 		switch (type)
diff --git a/src/interfaces/ecpg/preproc/preproc.y b/src/interfaces/ecpg/preproc/preproc.y
index eede4bb9d37..80b166221b0 100644
--- a/src/interfaces/ecpg/preproc/preproc.y
+++ b/src/interfaces/ecpg/preproc/preproc.y
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* $PostgreSQL: pgsql/src/interfaces/ecpg/preproc/preproc.y,v 1.263.2.19 2004/11/10 13:49:17 meskes Exp $ */
+/* $PostgreSQL: pgsql/src/interfaces/ecpg/preproc/preproc.y,v 1.263.2.20 2005/08/24 10:35:54 meskes Exp $ */
 
 /* Copyright comment */
 %{
@@ -5121,7 +5121,8 @@ variable: opt_pointer ECPGColLabelCommon opt_array_bounds opt_initializer
 							*dim = '\0';
 					else	
 							sprintf(dim, "[%s]", dimension);
-					if (strcmp(length, "0") == 0)
+					/* if (strcmp(length, "0") == 0)*/
+					if (atoi(length) <= 0)
 						mmerror(PARSE_ERROR, ET_ERROR, "pointer to varchar are not implemented");
 
 					if (strcmp(dimension, "0") == 0)