diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/RowRecord.java b/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/RowRecord.java
index 65b627ea5..fc29fcbd2 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/RowRecord.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/RowRecord.java
@@ -452,8 +452,8 @@ public class RowRecord
         LittleEndian.putShort(data, 0 + offset, sid);
         LittleEndian.putShort(data, 2 + offset, ( short ) 16);
         LittleEndian.putShort(data, 4 + offset, getRowNumber());
-        LittleEndian.putShort(data, 6 + offset, getFirstCol());
-        LittleEndian.putShort(data, 8 + offset, getLastCol());
+        LittleEndian.putShort(data, 6 + offset, getFirstCol() == -1 ? (short)0 : getFirstCol());
+        LittleEndian.putShort(data, 8 + offset, getLastCol() == -1 ? (short)0 : getLastCol());
         LittleEndian.putShort(data, 10 + offset, getHeight());
         LittleEndian.putShort(data, 12 + offset, getOptimize());
         LittleEndian.putShort(data, 14 + offset, field_6_reserved);
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/HSSFRow.java b/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/HSSFRow.java
index 39da13e42..e2e77dc94 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/HSSFRow.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/HSSFRow.java
@@ -292,8 +292,8 @@ public class HSSFRow
      * get the hssfcell representing a given column (logical cell) 0-based.  If you
      * ask for a cell that is not defined....you get a null.
      *
-     * @param cellnum - 0 based column number
-     * @returns HSSFCell representing that column or null if undefined.
+     * @param cellnum  0 based column number
+     * @return HSSFCell representing that column or null if undefined.
      */
 
     public HSSFCell getCell(short cellnum)
@@ -441,7 +441,7 @@ public class HSSFRow
     }
 
     /**
-     * @returns cell iterator of the physically defined cells.  Note element 4 may
+     * @return cell iterator of the physically defined cells.  Note element 4 may
      * actually be row cell depending on how many are defined!
      */
 
diff --git a/src/testcases/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/TestHSSFRow.java b/src/testcases/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/TestHSSFRow.java
index f8c584839..fe3414d1f 100644
--- a/src/testcases/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/TestHSSFRow.java
+++ b/src/testcases/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/TestHSSFRow.java
@@ -115,5 +115,11 @@ public class TestHSSFRow
         assertEquals(-1, row.getLastCellNum());
         assertEquals(-1, row.getFirstCellNum());
 
+        // check the row record actually writes it out as 0's
+        byte[] data = new byte[100];
+        row.getRowRecord().serialize(0, data);
+        assertEquals(0, data[6]);
+        assertEquals(0, data[8]);
+
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/testcases/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/TestHSSFSheet.java b/src/testcases/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/TestHSSFSheet.java
index 4868aee04..7484b5802 100644
--- a/src/testcases/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/TestHSSFSheet.java
+++ b/src/testcases/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/TestHSSFSheet.java
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ import junit.framework.TestCase;
 import org.apache.poi.hssf.model.Sheet;
 import org.apache.poi.hssf.record.VCenterRecord;
 import org.apache.poi.hssf.record.WSBoolRecord;
+import org.apache.poi.hssf.record.RowRecord;
 import org.apache.poi.hssf.dev.BiffViewer;
 
 import java.io.File;
@@ -193,4 +194,5 @@ public class TestHSSFSheet
 
 
     }
+
 }