1 files changed, 16 insertions, 2 deletions
diff --git a/pop3.c b/pop3.c
index 600d9917..76b66846 100644
--- a/pop3.c
+++ b/pop3.c
@@ -244,9 +244,23 @@ static int pop3_fetch(int sock, struct query *ctl, int number, int *lenp)
     gen_send(sock, "RETR %d", number);
     if ((ok = pop3_ok(sock, buf)) != 0)
 	return(ok);
-    /* look for "nnn octets" -- there may or may not be preceding cruft */
+
+    /* 
+     * Look for "nnn octets" -- there may or may not be preceding cruft.
+     *
+     * Note, it is not guaranteed this will be set; the never-to-be-
+     * sufficiently-damned RFC1725 doesn't require it.  At least one
+     * actual POP3 daemon (MercuryP/NLM v1.31) actually fails to issue
+     * a length.
+     *
+     * To kluge around this, wedge a huge value into the message
+     * length if we don't get one back.  The only bad effect this will
+     * have is to make the progress messages look funny.  We'll
+     * document this as a bug instead of forcing every poll to do a
+     * LIST for sizes.
+     */
     if ((cp = strstr(buf, " octets")) == (char *)NULL)
-	*lenp = 0;
+	*lenp = 0xffffffff;
     else
     {
 	while (--cp >= buf && isdigit(*cp))