diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 2a785554d..d83115fd0 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+2010-09-12  Robert Larice
+ * src/main.c :
+    fix incorrect buffer type, and exit(1) on failure to open a tempfile
+
 2010-09-08 Holger Vogt
  * inp.c, inpcom.c: include libiberty.h removed
  * terminal.c, ivars.c, ifnewuid.c, inperror.c, tclspice.c, main.c:
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 9b2d3a700..a12f965cc 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -629,7 +629,7 @@ show_version(void)
 static void
 append_to_stream(FILE *dest, FILE *source)
 {
-    char *buf[BSIZE_SP];
+    char buf[BSIZE_SP];
     int i;
 
     while ((i = fread(buf, 1, BSIZE_SP, source)) > 0)
@@ -1084,6 +1084,11 @@ bot:
         }
 #endif
 
+        if(!tempfile) {
+            perror("tmpfile()");
+            exit(1);
+        }
+
         if (optind == argc && !istty) {
             append_to_stream(tempfile, stdin);
         }