diff --git a/scsh/odbc/odbc.c b/scsh/odbc/odbc.c
index 5133f61..b99051b 100644
--- a/scsh/odbc/odbc.c
+++ b/scsh/odbc/odbc.c
@@ -1830,43 +1830,39 @@ s48_value odbc_sql_row_count(s48_value stmt_handle)
     }
 }
   
-s48_value odbc_sql_get_data(s48_value stmt_handle,
-			    s48_value column_number,
-			    s48_value target_type)
+s48_value odbc_sql_get_data(s48_value stmt_handle, s48_value column_number,
+			    s48_value target_type, s48_value buffer_size)
+			    
 {
-  
   SQLHSTMT sh;
-  SQLUSMALLINT cn;
+  SQLUSMALLINT cn, bl;
   SQLSMALLINT tt;
   SQLRETURN retval;
-  SQLINTEGER buffer_needed, buffer_len = ODBC_RETVAL_BUFFER_INITIAL_SIZE;
+  SQLINTEGER buffer_needed;
   void *buffer = NULL;
+  s48_value result = S48_UNSPECIFIC;
 
+  S48_DECLARE_GC_PROTECT(1);
   sh = (SQLHSTMT) s48_extract_integer(stmt_handle);
   cn = (SQLUSMALLINT) s48_extract_integer(column_number);
   tt = (SQLSMALLINT) s48_extract_integer(target_type);
+  bl = (SQLUSMALLINT) s48_extract_integer(buffer_size);
 
-  ODBC_DEBUG_PRINTF_4("odbc_sql_get_data() sh:%x cn:%d tt:%d\n", sh, cn, tt);
+  ODBC_DEBUG_PRINTF_5("odbc_sql_get_data() sh:%x cn:%d tt:%d bl:%d\n", sh, cn, tt, bl);
 
-  for (;;)
-    {
-      odbc_sql_alloc((void **) &buffer, buffer_len, 
-		     sizeof_sql_c_type_identifier(tt));
-      retval = SQLGetData(sh, cn, tt, buffer,
-			  buffer_len, &buffer_needed);
-      if (ODBC_SUCCESS(retval) && (buffer_needed > buffer_len))
-	buffer_len = buffer_needed+1;
-      else
-	break;
-      }
+  odbc_sql_alloc((void **) &buffer, buffer_size, sizeof_sql_c_type_identifier(tt));
+  retval = SQLGetData(sh, cn, tt, buffer, buffer_size, &buffer_needed);
 
   switch (retval)
     {
     case SQL_SUCCESS: case SQL_SUCCESS_WITH_INFO:
       {
-	s48_value res = buffer_to_s48_value(buffer, tt);
+	S48_GC_PROTECT_1(result);
+	result = s48_cons(buffer_to_s48_value(buffer, tt), 
+			  s48_enter_integer(buffer_needed));
 	free(buffer);
-	return res;
+	S48_GC_UNPROTECT();
+	return result;
       }
     case SQL_NO_DATA:
       ODBC_RAISE_EXCEPTION("SQLGetData returned SQL_NO_DATA");
diff --git a/scsh/odbc/odbc.h b/scsh/odbc/odbc.h
index 1757c0f..f812b18 100644
--- a/scsh/odbc/odbc.h
+++ b/scsh/odbc/odbc.h
@@ -5,6 +5,12 @@
 
 #include <sql.h>
 #include <sqlext.h>
+#include <sqltypes.h>
+
+/* darwin 6.1 sql header files do not define SQLLEN */
+#ifndef SQLLEN 
+#define SQLLEN SQLINTEGER
+#endif
 
 #define ERROR_MSG_BUFFER_LEN          255
 
@@ -317,9 +323,8 @@ s48_value odbc_sql_num_params(s48_value stmt_handle);
 
 s48_value odbc_sql_row_count(s48_value stmt_handle);
 
-s48_value odbc_sql_get_data(s48_value stmt_handle,
-			    s48_value column_number,
-			    s48_value target_type);
+s48_value odbc_sql_get_data(s48_value stmt_handle, s48_value column_number,
+			    s48_value target_type, s48_value buffer_size);
 
 /* Positions a cursor within a fetched block of data and allows an application
    to refresh data in the rowset or to update or delete data in the result
diff --git a/scsh/odbc/odbc.scm b/scsh/odbc/odbc.scm
index 7329b12..fb00f22 100644
--- a/scsh/odbc/odbc.scm
+++ b/scsh/odbc/odbc.scm
@@ -763,13 +763,13 @@
 			  (stmt-handle)
 			  "odbc_sql_row_count")
 
-(define (odbc-sql-get-data stmt-handle column-number target-type)
+(define (odbc-sql-get-data stmt-handle column-number target-type buffer-size)
   (check-arg statement-handle? stmt-handle odbc-sql-get-data)
   (odbc-sql-get-data-internal (statement-handle-handle stmt-handle)
 			      column-number target-type))
 			      
 (import-lambda-definition odbc-sql-get-data-internal
-			  (stmt-handle column-number target-type)
+			  (stmt-handle column-number target-type buffer-size)
 			  "odbc_sql_get_data")
 
 (define (odbc-sql-set-pos stmt-handle row-number operation lock-type)