diff --git a/scripts/conplay b/scripts/conplay
index bf06f504..4fdc57b8 100755
--- a/scripts/conplay
+++ b/scripts/conplay
@@ -78,6 +78,12 @@ push(@mpg123_command, '-k', $frame, '--listentry', $entry, '-@', $listfile);
 print STDERR "running player:\n\t@mpg123_command\n\n";
 
 open(MPG123, '-|', @mpg123_command) or die "Cannot run mpg123!";
+
+sleep(1);
+print "What do yo think of this year?\n";
+my $ans = <STDIN>;
+print "You said: $ans";
+
 while(<MPG123>)
 {
 	print STDOUT $_;
diff --git a/src/libmpg123/parse.c b/src/libmpg123/parse.c
index 24771e36..e6e01bab 100644
--- a/src/libmpg123/parse.c
+++ b/src/libmpg123/parse.c
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ static const int tabsel_123[2][3][16] =
 
 static const long freqs[9] = { 44100, 48000, 32000, 22050, 24000, 16000 , 11025 , 12000 , 8000 };
 
-static int decode_header(mpg123_handle *fr,unsigned long newhead);
+static int decode_header(mpg123_handle *fr,unsigned long newhead, int *freeformat_count);
 static int skip_junk(mpg123_handle *fr, unsigned long *newheadp, long *headcount);
 static int do_readahead(mpg123_handle *fr, unsigned long newhead);
 static int wetwork(mpg123_handle *fr, unsigned long *newheadp);
@@ -445,6 +445,7 @@ else if(ret == PARSE_RESYNC) goto init_resync; \
 int read_frame(mpg123_handle *fr)
 {
 	/* TODO: rework this thing */
+	int freeformat_count = 0;
 	unsigned long newhead;
 	off_t framepos;
 	int ret;
@@ -495,7 +496,7 @@ init_resync:
 #endif
 
 	ret = head_check(newhead);
-	if(ret) ret = decode_header(fr, newhead);
+	if(ret) ret = decode_header(fr, newhead, &freeformat_count);
 
 	JUMP_CONCLUSION(ret); /* That only continues for ret == 0 or 1 */
 	if(ret == 0)
@@ -667,7 +668,7 @@ static int guess_freeformat_framesize(mpg123_handle *fr)
  * <0: some error
  * You are required to do a head_check() before calling!
  */
-static int decode_header(mpg123_handle *fr,unsigned long newhead)
+static int decode_header(mpg123_handle *fr,unsigned long newhead, int *freeformat_count)
 {
 #ifdef DEBUG /* Do not waste cycles checking the header twice all the time. */
 	if(!head_check(newhead))
@@ -724,6 +725,12 @@ static int decode_header(mpg123_handle *fr,unsigned long newhead)
 		if(fr->freeformat_framesize < 0)
 		{
 			int ret;
+			*freeformat_count += 1;
+			if(*freeformat_count > 5)
+			{
+				error("You fooled me too often. Refusing to guess free format frame size _again_.");
+				return 0;
+			}
 			ret = guess_freeformat_framesize(fr);
 			if(ret>0)
 			{
@@ -1015,6 +1022,7 @@ static int handle_id3v2(mpg123_handle *fr, unsigned long newhead)
 static int skip_junk(mpg123_handle *fr, unsigned long *newheadp, long *headcount)
 {
 	int ret;
+	int freeformat_count = 0;
 	long limit = 65536;
 	unsigned long newhead = *newheadp;
 	/* check for id3v2; first three bytes (of 4) are "ID3" */
@@ -1064,7 +1072,7 @@ static int skip_junk(mpg123_handle *fr, unsigned long *newheadp, long *headcount
 
 		if((ret=fr->rd->head_shift(fr,&newhead))<=0) return ret;
 
-		if(head_check(newhead) && (ret=decode_header(fr, newhead))) break;
+		if(head_check(newhead) && (ret=decode_header(fr, newhead, &freeformat_count))) break;
 	} while(1);
 	if(ret<0) return ret;