diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 849aa1a..fc5e1d8 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
 
+corrections:
+	fixed a bug where socat might crash when connecting to a unix domain
+	socket using address GOPEN. Thanks to Martin Forssen for bug report and
+	patch.
+
 ####################### V 1.7.1.3:
 
 security:
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index 0537ddc..11171ac 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-"1.7.1.3"
+"1.7.1.3+fixes"
diff --git a/test.sh b/test.sh
index 230d021..7ac6563 100755
--- a/test.sh
+++ b/test.sh
@@ -10241,6 +10241,65 @@ PORT=$((PORT+1))
 N=$((N+1))
 
 
+# test for a bug in gopen that lead to crash or warning when opening a unix
+# domain socket with GOPEN
+NAME=GOPEN_UNIX_CRASH
+case "$TESTS" in
+*%functions%*|*%bugs%*|*%gopen%*|*%unix%*|*%socket%*|*%$NAME%*)
+TEST="$NAME: check crash when connecting to a unix domain socket using address GOPEN"
+# a unix domain server is started in background. the check process connects to
+# its socket. when this process crashes or issues a warning the bug is present.
+# please note that a clean behaviour does not proof anything; behaviour of bug
+# depends on the value of an uninitialized var
+#set -vx
+if ! eval $NUMCOND; then :; else
+tf="$td/test$N.stdout"
+te="$td/test$N.stderr"
+ts="$td/test$N.sock"
+tdiff="$td/test$N.diff"
+da="test$N $(date) $RANDOM"
+CMD0="$SOCAT $opts UNIX-LISTEN:$ts PIPE"
+CMD1="$SOCAT $opts -d - GOPEN:$ts"
+printf "test $F_n $TEST... " $N
+$CMD0 >/dev/null 2>"${te}0" </dev/null &
+pid0=$!
+waitunixport "$ts" 1
+echo "$da" |$CMD1 >"${tf}1" 2>"${te}1"
+rc1=$?
+kill $pid0 2>/dev/null; wait
+if [ $rc1 -ne 0 ]; then
+    $PRINTF "$FAILED\n"
+    echo "$CMD0 &"
+    echo "$CMD1"
+    cat "${te}0"
+    cat "${te}1"
+    numFAIL=$((numFAIL+1))
+elif grep -q ' W ' "${te}1"; then
+    $PRINTF "$FAILED\n"
+    echo "$CMD0 &"
+    echo "$CMD1"
+    cat "${te}0"
+    cat "${te}1"
+    numFAIL=$((numFAIL+1))
+elif  ! echo "$da" |diff - ${tf}1 >"$tdiff"; then
+    $PRINTF "$FAILED\n"
+    echo "$CMD0 &"
+    echo "$CMD1"
+    cat "${te}0"
+    cat "${te}1"
+    cat "$tdiff"
+    numFAIL=$((numFAIL+1))
+else
+    $PRINTF "$OK\n"
+    numOK=$((numOK+1))
+fi
+fi # NUMCOND
+ ;;
+esac
+N=$((N+1))
+set +vx
+
+
 ###############################################################################
 # here come tests that might affect your systems integrity. Put normal tests
 # before this paragraph.
diff --git a/xio-gopen.c b/xio-gopen.c
index a30f61a..a4e2dec 100644
--- a/xio-gopen.c
+++ b/xio-gopen.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /* source: xio-gopen.c */
-/* Copyright Gerhard Rieger 2001-2008 */
+/* Copyright Gerhard Rieger 2001-2010 */
 /* Published under the GNU General Public License V.2, see file COPYING */
 
 /* this file contains the source for opening addresses of generic open type */
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ static int xioopen_gopen(int argc, const char *argv[], struct opt *opts, int xio
    if (exists && S_ISSOCK(st_mode)) {
 #if WITH_UNIX
       union sockaddr_union us;
-      socklen_t uslen;
+      socklen_t uslen = sizeof(us);
       char infobuff[256];
 
       Info1("\"%s\" is a socket, connecting to it", filename);