diff --git a/src/editprop.c b/src/editprop.c
index 7d68bd19..4f654900 100644
--- a/src/editprop.c
+++ b/src/editprop.c
@@ -427,9 +427,10 @@ void edit_rect_property(void)
       }
       old_dash = rect[c][n].dash;
       dash = get_tok_value(rect[c][n].prop_ptr,"dash",0);
-      if( strcmp(dash, "") )
-        rect[c][n].dash = atoi(dash);
-      else
+      if( strcmp(dash, "") ) {
+        int d = atoi(dash);
+        rect[c][n].dash = d >= 0? d : 0;
+      } else
         rect[c][n].dash = 0;
       if(old_dash != rect[c][n].dash) {
          if(!drw) {
@@ -481,9 +482,10 @@ void edit_line_property(void)
       }
       old_dash = line[c][n].dash;
       dash = get_tok_value(line[c][n].prop_ptr,"dash",0);
-      if( strcmp(dash, "") )
-        line[c][n].dash = atoi(dash);
-      else
+      if( strcmp(dash, "") ) {
+        int d = atoi(dash);
+        line[c][n].dash = d >= 0? d : 0;
+      } else
         line[c][n].dash = 0;
       if(old_dash != line[c][n].dash) {
          if(!drw) {
@@ -607,9 +609,10 @@ void edit_arc_property(void)
        arc[c][i].fill =0;
      old_dash = arc[c][i].dash;
      dash = get_tok_value(arc[c][i].prop_ptr,"dash",0);
-     if( strcmp(dash, "") )
-       arc[c][i].dash = atoi(dash);
-     else
+     if( strcmp(dash, "") ) {
+       int d = atoi(dash);
+       arc[c][i].dash = d >= 0 ? d : 0;
+     } else
        arc[c][i].dash = 0;
   
 
@@ -673,9 +676,10 @@ void edit_polygon_property(void)
      else 
        polygon[c][i].fill =0;
      dash = get_tok_value(polygon[c][i].prop_ptr,"dash",0);
-     if( strcmp(dash, "") )
-       polygon[c][i].dash = atoi(dash);
-     else 
+     if( strcmp(dash, "") ) {
+       int d = atoi(dash);
+       polygon[c][i].dash = d >= 0 ? d : 0;
+     } else 
        polygon[c][i].dash = 0;
      if(old_fill != polygon[c][i].fill || old_dash != polygon[c][i].dash) {
        if(!drw) {
diff --git a/src/save.c b/src/save.c
index 63e1588f..2ed77ab1 100644
--- a/src/save.c
+++ b/src/save.c
@@ -595,7 +595,8 @@ static void load_polygon(FILE *fd)
       ptr[i].fill =0;
     dash = get_tok_value(ptr[i].prop_ptr,"dash",0);
     if(strcmp(dash, "")) {
-      ptr[i].dash = atoi(dash);
+      int d = atoi(dash);
+      ptr[i].dash = d >= 0 ? d : 0;
     } else {
       ptr[i].dash = 0;
     }
@@ -634,7 +635,8 @@ static void load_arc(FILE *fd)
       ptr[i].fill =0;
     dash = get_tok_value(ptr[i].prop_ptr,"dash",0);
     if(strcmp(dash, "")) {
-      ptr[i].dash = atoi(dash);
+      int d = atoi(dash); 
+      ptr[i].dash = d >= 0 ? d : 0;
     } else {
       ptr[i].dash = 0;
     }
@@ -669,7 +671,8 @@ static void load_box(FILE *fd)
     load_ascii_string( &ptr[i].prop_ptr, fd);
     dash = get_tok_value(ptr[i].prop_ptr,"dash",0);
     if(strcmp(dash, "")) {
-      ptr[i].dash = atoi(dash);
+      int d = atoi(dash);
+      ptr[i].dash = d >= 0 ? d : 0;
     } else {
       ptr[i].dash = 0;
     }
@@ -704,7 +707,8 @@ static void load_line(FILE *fd)
     load_ascii_string( &ptr[i].prop_ptr, fd);
     dash = get_tok_value(ptr[i].prop_ptr,"dash",0);
     if(strcmp(dash, "")) {
-      ptr[i].dash = atoi(dash);
+      int d = atoi(dash);
+      ptr[i].dash = d >= 0 ? d : 0;
     } else {
       ptr[i].dash = 0;
     }
@@ -1397,9 +1401,10 @@ int load_sym_def(const char *name, FILE *embed_fd)
      dbg(2, "l_d_s(): loaded line: ptr=%lx\n", (unsigned long)ll[c]);
 
      dash = get_tok_value(ll[c][i].prop_ptr,"dash", 0);
-     if( strcmp(dash, "") )
-       ll[c][i].dash = atoi(dash);
-     else 
+     if( strcmp(dash, "") ) {
+       int d = atoi(dash);
+       ll[c][i].dash = d >= 0 ? d : 0;
+     } else 
        ll[c][i].dash = 0;
      ll[c][i].sel = 0;
      lastl[c]++;
@@ -1440,9 +1445,10 @@ int load_sym_def(const char *name, FILE *embed_fd)
        pp[c][i].fill =0;
 
      dash = get_tok_value(pp[c][i].prop_ptr,"dash", 0);
-     if( strcmp(dash, "") )
-       pp[c][i].dash = atoi(dash);
-     else 
+     if( strcmp(dash, "") ) {
+       int d = atoi(dash);
+       pp[c][i].dash = d >= 0 ? d : 0;
+     } else 
        pp[c][i].dash = 0;
      pp[c][i].sel = 0;
 
@@ -1486,9 +1492,10 @@ int load_sym_def(const char *name, FILE *embed_fd)
        aa[c][i].fill =0;
 
      dash = get_tok_value(aa[c][i].prop_ptr,"dash", 0);
-     if( strcmp(dash, "") )
-       aa[c][i].dash = atoi(dash);
-     else
+     if( strcmp(dash, "") ) {
+       int d = atoi(dash);
+       aa[c][i].dash = d >= 0 ? d : 0;
+     } else
        aa[c][i].dash = 0;
      aa[c][i].sel = 0;
 
@@ -1520,9 +1527,10 @@ int load_sym_def(const char *name, FILE *embed_fd)
      load_ascii_string( &bb[c][i].prop_ptr, lcc[level].fd);
      dbg(2, "l_d_s(): loaded rect: ptr=%lx\n", (unsigned long)bb[c]);
      dash = get_tok_value(bb[c][i].prop_ptr,"dash", 0);
-     if( strcmp(dash, "") )
-       bb[c][i].dash = atoi(dash);
-     else
+     if( strcmp(dash, "") ) {
+       int d = atoi(dash);
+       bb[c][i].dash = d >= 0 ? d : 0;
+     } else
        bb[c][i].dash = 0;
      bb[c][i].sel = 0;
 
diff --git a/src/store.c b/src/store.c
index 1a049081..7b220b8a 100644
--- a/src/store.c
+++ b/src/store.c
@@ -175,9 +175,10 @@ void store_arc(int pos, double x, double y, double r, double a, double b,
   else
     arc[rectcolor][n].fill =0;
   dash = get_tok_value(arc[rectcolor][n].prop_ptr,"dash",0);
-  if( strcmp(dash, "") )
-    arc[rectcolor][n].dash = atoi(dash);
-  else
+  if( strcmp(dash, "") ) {
+    int d = atoi(dash);
+    arc[rectcolor][n].dash = d >= 0 ? d : 0;
+  } else
     arc[rectcolor][n].dash = 0;
 
   lastarc[rectcolor]++;
@@ -221,9 +222,10 @@ void store_polygon(int pos, double *x, double *y, int points, unsigned int rectc
   else
     polygon[rectcolor][n].fill =0;
   dash = get_tok_value(polygon[rectcolor][n].prop_ptr,"dash",0);
-  if( strcmp(dash, "") )
-    polygon[rectcolor][n].dash = atoi(dash);
-  else
+  if( strcmp(dash, "") ) {
+    int d = atoi(dash);
+    polygon[rectcolor][n].dash = d >= 0 ? d : 0;
+  } else
     polygon[rectcolor][n].dash = 0;
 
 
@@ -259,9 +261,10 @@ void storeobject(int pos, double x1,double y1,double x2,double y2,
      my_strdup(412, &line[rectcolor][n].prop_ptr, prop_ptr);
      line[rectcolor][n].sel=sel;
      dash = get_tok_value(line[rectcolor][n].prop_ptr,"dash",0);
-     if( strcmp(dash, "") )
-       line[rectcolor][n].dash = atoi(dash);
-     else
+     if( strcmp(dash, "") ) {
+       int d = atoi(dash);
+       line[rectcolor][n].dash = d >= 0 ? d : 0;
+     } else
        line[rectcolor][n].dash = 0;
      lastline[rectcolor]++;
      set_modify(1);
@@ -287,9 +290,10 @@ void storeobject(int pos, double x1,double y1,double x2,double y2,
      my_strdup(413, &rect[rectcolor][n].prop_ptr, prop_ptr);
      rect[rectcolor][n].sel=sel;
      dash = get_tok_value(rect[rectcolor][n].prop_ptr,"dash",0);
-     if( strcmp(dash, "") )
-       rect[rectcolor][n].dash = atoi(dash);
-     else
+     if( strcmp(dash, "") ) {
+       int d = atoi(dash);
+       rect[rectcolor][n].dash = d >= 0 ? d : 0;
+     } else
        rect[rectcolor][n].dash = 0;
      lastrect[rectcolor]++;
      set_modify(1);