diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index 9da74dc4..1fcc6f54 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-8.3.550
+8.3.551
diff --git a/cif/CIFtech.c b/cif/CIFtech.c
index 5046a66d..2641ca64 100644
--- a/cif/CIFtech.c
+++ b/cif/CIFtech.c
@@ -1758,7 +1758,8 @@ cifComputeHalo(
     if (maxGrow > maxShrink)
 	style->cs_radius = 2*maxGrow;
     else style->cs_radius = 2*maxShrink;
-    style->cs_radius /= style->cs_scaleFactor;
+    if (style->cs_scaleFactor > 0)
+	style->cs_radius /= style->cs_scaleFactor;
     style->cs_radius++;
 
     /* TxPrintf("Radius for %s CIF is %d.\n",
diff --git a/utils/tech.c b/utils/tech.c
index f6a43fb5..9603c368 100644
--- a/utils/tech.c
+++ b/utils/tech.c
@@ -449,6 +449,14 @@ TechLoad(filename, initmask)
 	return (FALSE);
     }
 
+    /* TECH_VERSION in the filename is deprecated as of magic version	*/
+    /* 7.2.27;  TECH_VERSION is no longer defined in the utils/Makefile.*/
+    /* It has been changed to TECH_FORMAT_VERSION, left at version 27,	*/
+    /* and placed in utils/tech.h.  It is needed for backward		*/
+    /* compatibility with the old *.tech27 file format.			*/
+
+    (void) sprintf(suffix, ".tech");
+
     /* If NULL is passed to argument "filename", this is a reload and	*/
     /* we should read TechFileName verbatim.				*/
 
@@ -477,14 +485,6 @@ TechLoad(filename, initmask)
 
 	tf = (FILE *)NULL;
 
-	/* TECH_VERSION in the filename is deprecated as of magic version	*/
-	/* 7.2.27;  TECH_VERSION is no longer defined in the utils/Makefile.	*/
-	/* It has been changed to TECH_FORMAT_VERSION, left at version 27,	*/
-	/* and placed in utils/tech.h.  It is needed for backward		*/
-	/* compatibility with *.tech27 files, of which there are many.	*/
-
-	(void) sprintf(suffix, ".tech");
-
 	/* Added 1/20/2015 to correspond to change to PaLockOpen();	*/
 	/* Always strip suffix from filename when suffix is specified.	*/