diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 28208f8623..32b914da3b 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+Thu May 13 14:17:57 2004  why the lucky stiff  <why@ruby-lang.org>
+
+	* ext/syck/rubyext.c (yaml_org_handler): some empty strings were
+	  loaded as symbols.
+
 Thu May 13 11:04:08 2004  Nobuyoshi Nakada  <nobu@ruby-lang.org>
 
 	* pack.c (pack_pack): always add with null for 'Z'.
diff --git a/ext/syck/rubyext.c b/ext/syck/rubyext.c
index d7219ef26a..d6687a32c0 100644
--- a/ext/syck/rubyext.c
+++ b/ext/syck/rubyext.c
@@ -558,7 +558,7 @@ yaml_org_handler( n, ref )
 			{
 				obj = rb_funcall( cDefaultKey, s_new, 0 );
 			}
-            else if ( strncmp( n->data.str->ptr, ":", 1 ) == 0 )
+            else if ( n->data.str->len > 1 && strncmp( n->data.str->ptr, ":", 1 ) == 0 )
             {
                 obj = rb_funcall( oDefaultLoader, s_transfer, 2, 
                                   rb_str_new2( "ruby/sym" ),