--- src/xcms/cmsColNm.c.org     2008-03-31 18:53:39.000000000 +0200
+++ src/xcms/cmsColNm.c 2008-03-31 18:53:46.000000000 +0200
@@ -711,7 +711,7 @@
     FILE *stream;
     const char *pathname;
     struct stat txt;
-    int length;
+    int length,ret;
 
     /* use and name of this env var is not part of the standard */
     /* implementation-dependent feature */
@@ -733,12 +733,19 @@
        XcmsColorDbState = XcmsDbInitFailure;
        return(XcmsFailure);
     }
+    stream = _XFopenFile (pathname, "r");
+    if (stream == NULL) {
+       return(XcmsFailure);
+    }
 
-    if ((stream = _XFopenFile (pathname, "r")) == NULL) {
+    ret=stringSectionSize(stream, &nEntries, &size);
+
+    if (ret != XcmsSuccess || nEntries == 0 ) {
+      (void) fclose(stream);
+       XcmsColorDbState = XcmsDbInitFailure;
        return(XcmsFailure);
     }
 
-    stringSectionSize(stream, &nEntries, &size);
     rewind(stream);
 
     strings = (char *) Xmalloc(size);