diff --git a/libisofs/aaip_0_2.c b/libisofs/aaip_0_2.c
index fc15e3d..1fc84e5 100644
--- a/libisofs/aaip_0_2.c
+++ b/libisofs/aaip_0_2.c
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
  See libisofs/aaip_0_2.h
      http://libburnia-project.org/wiki/AAIP
 
- Copyright (c) 2009 - 2014 Thomas Schmitt, libburnia project, GPLv2+
+ Copyright (c) 2009 - 2015 Thomas Schmitt, libburnia project, GPLv2+
 
 */
 
@@ -88,26 +88,30 @@ static int aaip_encode_pair(char *name, size_t attr_length, char *attr,
                         no longer needed 
    @param flag          Bitfield for control purposes
                         bit0= set CONTINUE bit of last AAIP field to 1
-   @return              >0 is the number of SUSP fields generated,
-                        0 means error 
+   @return              >= 0 is the number of SUSP fields generated,
+                        < 0 means error 
 */
-size_t aaip_encode(size_t num_attrs, char **names,
-                   size_t *value_lengths, char **values, 
-                   size_t *result_len, unsigned char **result, int flag)
+ssize_t aaip_encode(size_t num_attrs, char **names,
+                    size_t *value_lengths, char **values, 
+                    size_t *result_len, unsigned char **result, int flag)
 {
- size_t mem_size= 0, comp_size, ret;
+ size_t mem_size= 0, comp_size;
+ ssize_t ret;
  unsigned int number_of_fields, i, num_recs;
 
  /* Predict memory needs, number of SUSP fields and component records */
+ *result = NULL;
  *result_len= 0;
  for(i= 0; i < num_attrs; i++) {
    ret= aaip_encode_pair(names[i], value_lengths[i], values[i],
                          &num_recs, &comp_size, NULL, (size_t) 0, 1);
-   if(ret <= 0)
+   if(ret < 0)
      return(ret);
    mem_size+= comp_size;
  }
  number_of_fields= mem_size / 250 + !!(mem_size % 250);
+ if(number_of_fields == 0)
+   return(0);
  mem_size+= number_of_fields * 5;
 
 #ifdef Aaip_encode_debuG
@@ -118,14 +122,18 @@ size_t aaip_encode(size_t num_attrs, char **names,
 #endif
 
  if(*result == NULL)
-   return 0;
+   return ISO_OUT_OF_MEM;
 
  /* Encode pairs into result */
  for(i= 0; i < num_attrs; i++) {
    ret= aaip_encode_pair(names[i], value_lengths[i], values[i],
                          &num_recs, &comp_size, *result, *result_len, 0);
-   if(ret <= 0)
+   if(ret < 0) {
+     free(*result);
+     *result = NULL;
+     *result_len = 0;
      return(ret);
+   }
    (*result_len)+= comp_size;
  }
 
diff --git a/libisofs/aaip_0_2.h b/libisofs/aaip_0_2.h
index 2c458c7..c4f0a98 100644
--- a/libisofs/aaip_0_2.h
+++ b/libisofs/aaip_0_2.h
@@ -30,12 +30,12 @@
                         no longer needed 
    @param flag          Bitfield for control purposes
                         bit0= set CONTINUE bit of last AAIP field to 1
-   @return              >0 is the number of SUSP fields generated,
-                        0 means error 
+   @return              >= 0 is the number of SUSP fields generated,
+                        < 0 means error
 */
-size_t aaip_encode(size_t num_attrs, char **names,
-                   size_t *value_lengths, char **values, 
-                   size_t *result_len, unsigned char **result, int flag);
+ssize_t aaip_encode(size_t num_attrs, char **names,
+                    size_t *value_lengths, char **values, 
+                    size_t *result_len, unsigned char **result, int flag);
 
 
 /* ------ ACL representation ------ */
diff --git a/libisofs/fs_local.c b/libisofs/fs_local.c
index da40f00..8bb3c57 100644
--- a/libisofs/fs_local.c
+++ b/libisofs/fs_local.c
@@ -500,7 +500,8 @@ static
 int lfs_get_aa_string(IsoFileSource *src, unsigned char **aa_string, int flag)
 {
     int ret;
-    size_t num_attrs = 0, *value_lengths = NULL, result_len, sret;
+    size_t num_attrs = 0, *value_lengths = NULL, result_len;
+    ssize_t sret;
     char *path = NULL, **names = NULL, **values = NULL;
     unsigned char *result = NULL;
 
@@ -533,10 +534,10 @@ int lfs_get_aa_string(IsoFileSource *src, unsigned char **aa_string, int flag)
     else {
         sret = aaip_encode(num_attrs, names,
                            value_lengths, values, &result_len, &result, 0);
-        if (sret == 0) {
-            ret = ISO_OUT_OF_MEM;
+        if (sret < 0) {
+            ret = sret;
             goto ex;
-         }
+        }
     }
     *aa_string = result;
     ret = 1;
diff --git a/libisofs/node.c b/libisofs/node.c
index f377454..b8ca5d1 100644
--- a/libisofs/node.c
+++ b/libisofs/node.c
@@ -1959,7 +1959,8 @@ int iso_node_set_attrs(IsoNode *node, size_t num_attrs, char **names,
                        size_t *value_lengths, char **values, int flag)
 {
     int ret, acl_saved = 0;
-    size_t sret, result_len, m_num = 0, *m_value_lengths = NULL, i;
+    ssize_t sret;
+    size_t result_len, m_num = 0, *m_value_lengths = NULL, i;
     unsigned char *result = NULL;
     char *a_acl = NULL, *d_acl = NULL, **m_names = NULL, **m_values = NULL;
 
@@ -1999,8 +2000,8 @@ int iso_node_set_attrs(IsoNode *node, size_t num_attrs, char **names,
     }
     sret = aaip_encode(num_attrs, names, value_lengths, values,
                        &result_len, &result, 0);
-    if (sret == 0) {
-        ret = ISO_OUT_OF_MEM;
+    if (sret < 0) {
+        ret = sret;
         goto ex;
     }
 
@@ -2010,20 +2011,23 @@ int iso_node_set_attrs(IsoNode *node, size_t num_attrs, char **names,
             free(result);
         goto ex;
     }
-    ret = iso_node_add_xinfo(node, aaip_xinfo_func, result);
-    if (ret < 0)
-        goto ex;
-    if (ret == 0) {
-
-        /* >>> something is messed up with xinfo: an aa_string still exists */;
-
-        ret = ISO_ERROR;
-        goto ex;
-    }
-    if (acl_saved) {
-        ret = iso_node_set_acl_text(node, a_acl, d_acl, 0);
+    if (sret > 0) {
+        ret = iso_node_add_xinfo(node, aaip_xinfo_func, result);
         if (ret < 0)
             goto ex;
+        if (ret == 0) {
+
+            /* >>> something is messed up with xinfo:
+                   an aa_string still exists */;
+
+            ret = ISO_ERROR;
+            goto ex;
+        }
+        if (acl_saved) {
+            ret = iso_node_set_acl_text(node, a_acl, d_acl, 0);
+            if (ret < 0)
+                goto ex;
+        }
     }
     ret = 1;
 ex:;