diff --git a/src/zipios++/zipheadio.h b/src/zipios++/zipheadio.h
index 6a28e79f35..dee0386a35 100644
--- a/src/zipios++/zipheadio.h
+++ b/src/zipios++/zipheadio.h
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 
 #include "ziphead.h"
 #include "zipios_defs.h"
+#include "fcollexceptions.h"
 
 namespace zipios {
 
@@ -79,11 +80,15 @@ inline uint32 readUint32 ( istream &is ) {
   static const int buf_len = sizeof ( uint32 ) ;
   unsigned char buf [ buf_len ] ;
   int rsf = 0 ;
-  // fix endless loop on (almost) empty streams, 20080509 wmayer
-  int cnt = 0;
-  while ( rsf < buf_len && (cnt++ < buf_len) ) {
+  std::streampos original_pos = is.tellg() ;
+  while ( rsf < buf_len && !is.eof() ) {
     is.read ( reinterpret_cast< char * >( buf ) + rsf, buf_len - rsf ) ;
-    rsf += is.gcount () ;
+    rsf += static_cast< int >( is.gcount () ) ;
+  }
+  if ( rsf != buf_len ) {
+    is.seekg( original_pos ) ;
+    throw InvalidStateException( "Reached end-of-file while trying to read a"
+                                 "Uint32; the zip archive may be corrupt." ) ;
   }
   return  ztohl ( buf ) ;
 }
@@ -97,9 +102,15 @@ inline uint16 readUint16 ( istream &is ) {
   static const int buf_len = sizeof ( uint16 ) ;
   unsigned char buf [ buf_len ] ;
   int rsf = 0 ;
-  while ( rsf < buf_len ) {
+  std::streampos original_pos = is.tellg() ;
+  while ( rsf < buf_len && !is.eof() ) {
     is.read ( reinterpret_cast< char * >( buf ) + rsf, buf_len - rsf ) ;
-    rsf += is.gcount () ;
+    rsf += static_cast< int >( is.gcount () ) ;
+  }
+  if ( rsf != buf_len ) {
+    is.seekg( original_pos ) ;
+    throw InvalidStateException( "Reached end-of-file while trying to read a"
+                                 "Uint16; the zip archive may be corrupt." ) ;
   }
   return  ztohs ( buf ) ;
 }