diff --git a/lib/stringsupport.rb b/lib/stringsupport.rb
index 2a051d3f..cb70ea33 100644
--- a/lib/stringsupport.rb
+++ b/lib/stringsupport.rb
@@ -10,13 +10,13 @@ class String
 # returns a valid utf-8 string, purged of any subsequences of illegal bytes.
 #--
    def purify
-     text = expand_ncrs
+     text = check_ncrs
      text.split(//u).grep(UTF8_REGEX).join
    end
 
-  def expand_ncrs
-    text = gsub(/&#[xX]([a-fA-F0-9]+);/) { |m| [$1.hex].pack('U*') }
-    text.gsub!(/&#(\d+);/) { |m| [$1.to_i].pack('U*') }
+  def check_ncrs
+    text = gsub(/&#[xX]([a-fA-F0-9]+);/) { |m| [$1.hex].pack('U*') =~ UTF8_REGEX ? m : '' }
+    text.gsub!(/&#(\d+);/) { |m| [$1.to_i].pack('U*') =~ UTF8_REGEX ? m : '' }
     text
   end
 
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ class String
 #--
    def is_utf8?
      #expand NCRs to utf-8
-     text = self.expand_ncrs
+     text = self.check_ncrs
      
      # You might think this is faster, but it isn't
      #pieces = self.split(/&#[xX]([a-fA-F0-9]+);/)
diff --git a/test/functional/wiki_controller_test.rb b/test/functional/wiki_controller_test.rb
index 0d794e9e..1a18af7d 100755
--- a/test/functional/wiki_controller_test.rb
+++ b/test/functional/wiki_controller_test.rb
@@ -771,6 +771,12 @@ class WikiControllerTest < ActionController::TestCase
     new_page = @wiki.read_page('wiki1', 'AnotherPage')
     assert_equal 'AnonymousCoward', new_page.author
 
+    r = process 'save', 'web' => 'wiki1', 'id' => 'AnotherPage', 'content' => 'Revised contents of a new page', 
+      'author' => "G&#xfffe;eo&#2147483647;rge &#38; June"
+
+    assert_redirected_to :action => 'show', :controller => 'wiki', :web => 'wiki1', :id => 'AnotherPage'
+    new_page = @wiki.read_page('wiki1', 'AnotherPage')
+    assert_equal 'George &#38; June', new_page.author
   end
 
   def test_search