diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 6660221..024c15f 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #! /bin/sh
 # Guess values for system-dependent variables and create Makefiles.
-# Generated by GNU Autoconf 2.61 for ikarus 0.0.2.
+# Generated by GNU Autoconf 2.61 for ikarus 0.0.2patched.
 #
 # Report bugs to <aghuloum@cs.indiana.edu>.
 #
@@ -574,8 +574,8 @@ SHELL=${CONFIG_SHELL-/bin/sh}
 # Identity of this package.
 PACKAGE_NAME='ikarus'
 PACKAGE_TARNAME='ikarus'
-PACKAGE_VERSION='0.0.2'
-PACKAGE_STRING='ikarus 0.0.2'
+PACKAGE_VERSION='0.0.2patched'
+PACKAGE_STRING='ikarus 0.0.2patched'
 PACKAGE_BUGREPORT='aghuloum@cs.indiana.edu'
 
 ac_unique_file="src/"
@@ -1227,7 +1227,7 @@ if test "$ac_init_help" = "long"; then
   # Omit some internal or obsolete options to make the list less imposing.
   # This message is too long to be a string in the A/UX 3.1 sh.
   cat <<_ACEOF
-\`configure' configures ikarus 0.0.2 to adapt to many kinds of systems.
+\`configure' configures ikarus 0.0.2patched to adapt to many kinds of systems.
 
 Usage: $0 [OPTION]... [VAR=VALUE]...
 
@@ -1298,7 +1298,7 @@ fi
 
 if test -n "$ac_init_help"; then
   case $ac_init_help in
-     short | recursive ) echo "Configuration of ikarus 0.0.2:";;
+     short | recursive ) echo "Configuration of ikarus 0.0.2patched:";;
    esac
   cat <<\_ACEOF
 
@@ -1384,7 +1384,7 @@ fi
 test -n "$ac_init_help" && exit $ac_status
 if $ac_init_version; then
   cat <<\_ACEOF
-ikarus configure 0.0.2
+ikarus configure 0.0.2patched
 generated by GNU Autoconf 2.61
 
 Copyright (C) 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
@@ -1398,7 +1398,7 @@ cat >config.log <<_ACEOF
 This file contains any messages produced by compilers while
 running configure, to aid debugging if configure makes a mistake.
 
-It was created by ikarus $as_me 0.0.2, which was
+It was created by ikarus $as_me 0.0.2patched, which was
 generated by GNU Autoconf 2.61.  Invocation command line was
 
   $ $0 $@
@@ -2214,7 +2214,7 @@ fi
 
 # Define the identity of the package.
  PACKAGE=ikarus
- VERSION=0.0.2
+ VERSION=0.0.2patched
 
 
 cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
@@ -9308,7 +9308,7 @@ exec 6>&1
 # report actual input values of CONFIG_FILES etc. instead of their
 # values after options handling.
 ac_log="
-This file was extended by ikarus $as_me 0.0.2, which was
+This file was extended by ikarus $as_me 0.0.2patched, which was
 generated by GNU Autoconf 2.61.  Invocation command line was
 
   CONFIG_FILES    = $CONFIG_FILES
@@ -9361,7 +9361,7 @@ Report bugs to <bug-autoconf@gnu.org>."
 _ACEOF
 cat >>$CONFIG_STATUS <<_ACEOF
 ac_cs_version="\\
-ikarus config.status 0.0.2
+ikarus config.status 0.0.2patched
 configured by $0, generated by GNU Autoconf 2.61,
   with options \\"`echo "$ac_configure_args" | sed 's/^ //; s/[\\""\`\$]/\\\\&/g'`\\"
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 7829530..7ecc55e 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@
 # Process this file with autoconf to produce a configure script.
 
 AC_PREREQ(2.59)
-AC_INIT(ikarus, 0.0.2, aghuloum@cs.indiana.edu)
+AC_INIT(ikarus, 0.0.2patched, aghuloum@cs.indiana.edu)
 AC_CANONICAL_SYSTEM
-AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE(ikarus, 0.0.2)
+AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE(ikarus, 0.0.2patched)
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([src/])
 
 
diff --git a/scheme/Makefile.am b/scheme/Makefile.am
index 7716cac..a395263 100644
--- a/scheme/Makefile.am
+++ b/scheme/Makefile.am
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ EXTRA_DIST=ikarus.boot.prebuilt ikarus.enumerations.ss ikarus.exceptions.ss ikar
 
 all: $(nodist_pkglib_DATA)
 
-revno = "$(shell sed 's/ .*//' ../.bzr/branch/last-revision)"
-last-revision: $(shell ls ../.bzr/branch/last-revision) 
+revno = "$(shell sed 's/ .*//' ../.bzr/branch/last-revision 2>/dev/null)"
+last-revision: $(shell ls ../.bzr/branch/last-revision 2>/dev/null) 
 	echo $(revno) >$@
 
 ikarus.config.ss: Makefile last-revision
diff --git a/scheme/Makefile.in b/scheme/Makefile.in
index f5707a6..7b94eea 100644
--- a/scheme/Makefile.in
+++ b/scheme/Makefile.in
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ EXTRA_DIST = ikarus.boot.prebuilt ikarus.enumerations.ss \
 	ikarus/code-objects.ss ikarus/compiler.ss \
 	ikarus/intel-assembler.ss ikarus/fasl/write.ss \
 	unicode/unicode-char-cases.ss unicode/unicode-charinfo.ss
-revno = "$(shell sed 's/ .*//' ../.bzr/branch/last-revision)"
+revno = "$(shell sed 's/ .*//' ../.bzr/branch/last-revision 2>/dev/null)"
 CLEANFILES = $(nodist_pkglib_DATA) ikarus.config.ss
 MAINTAINERCLEANFILES = last-revision
 all: all-am
@@ -371,7 +371,7 @@ uninstall-am: uninstall-nodist_pkglibDATA
 
 
 all: $(nodist_pkglib_DATA)
-last-revision: $(shell ls ../.bzr/branch/last-revision) 
+last-revision: $(shell ls ../.bzr/branch/last-revision 2>/dev/null) 
 	echo $(revno) >$@
 
 ikarus.config.ss: Makefile last-revision
diff --git a/scheme/ikarus.unicode-conversion.ss b/scheme/ikarus.unicode-conversion.ss
index 8960089..dd23be0 100644
--- a/scheme/ikarus.unicode-conversion.ss
+++ b/scheme/ikarus.unicode-conversion.ss
@@ -93,7 +93,10 @@
         ($make-bytevector (utf8-string-size str))
         str)))
 
-  (define (utf8->string x) (decode-utf8-bytevector x 'replace))
+  (define (utf8->string x) 
+    (unless (bytevector? x) 
+      (error 'utf8->string "not a bytevector" x))
+    (decode-utf8-bytevector x 'replace))
 
   (define decode-utf8-bytevector
     (let ()
diff --git a/scheme/last-revision b/scheme/last-revision
index 6e64a91..e7ff19b 100644
--- a/scheme/last-revision
+++ b/scheme/last-revision
@@ -1 +1 @@
-1173
+1174