--- JSON-XS/XS.xs	2007/03/23 15:10:55	1.6
+++ JSON-XS/XS.xs	2007/03/23 16:13:59	1.8
@@ -56,6 +56,15 @@
   return &SvUVX (SvRV (sv));
 }
 
+static void
+shrink (SV *sv)
+{
+  sv_utf8_downgrade (sv, 1);
+#ifdef SvPV_shrink_to_cur
+  SvPV_shrink_to_cur (sv);
+#endif
+}
+
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 static void
@@ -169,7 +178,7 @@
                     }
                   else
                     {
-                      need (enc, 10); // never more than 11 bytes needed
+                      need (enc, len += 10); // never more than 11 bytes needed
                       enc->cur = uvuni_to_utf8_flags (enc->cur, uch, 0);
                       ++str;
                     }
@@ -310,16 +319,20 @@
             qsort (hes, count, sizeof (HE *), he_cmp_fast);
           else
             {
-              // hack to disable "use bytes"
-              COP *oldcop = PL_curcop, cop;
+              // hack to forcefully disable "use bytes"
+              COP cop = *PL_curcop;
               cop.op_private = 0;
-              PL_curcop = &cop;
 
+              ENTER;
               SAVETMPS;
+
+              SAVEVPTR (PL_curcop);
+              PL_curcop = &cop;
+
               qsort (hes, count, sizeof (HE *), he_cmp_slow);
-              FREETMPS;
 
-              PL_curcop = oldcop;
+              FREETMPS;
+              LEAVE;
             }
 
           for (i = 0; i < count; ++i)
@@ -427,10 +440,9 @@
 
   SvCUR_set (enc.sv, enc.cur - SvPVX (enc.sv));
 
-#ifdef SvPV_shrink_to_cur
   if (enc.flags & F_SHRINK)
-    SvPV_shrink_to_cur (enc.sv);
-#endif
+    shrink (enc.sv);
+
   return enc.sv;
 }
 
@@ -578,7 +590,7 @@
           STRLEN clen;
           UV uch = utf8n_to_uvuni (dec->cur, dec->end - dec->cur, &clen, UTF8_CHECK_ONLY);
           if (clen == (STRLEN)-1)
-            ERR ("malformed UTF-8 character in string, cannot convert to JSON");
+            ERR ("malformed UTF-8 character in JSON string");
 
           APPEND_GROW (clen);
           do
@@ -605,10 +617,8 @@
   if (utf8)
     SvUTF8_on (sv);
 
-#ifdef SvPV_shrink_to_cur
   if (dec->flags & F_SHRINK)
-    SvPV_shrink_to_cur (sv);
-#endif
+    shrink (sv);
 
   return sv;
 
@@ -840,7 +850,7 @@
         break;
 
       default:
-        ERR ("malformed json string");
+        ERR ("malformed json string, neither array, object, number, string or atom");
         break;
     }
 
@@ -870,16 +880,20 @@
 
   if (!sv)
     {
-      IV offset = utf8_distance (dec.cur, SvPVX (string));
+      IV offset = dec.flags & F_UTF8
+                  ? dec.cur - SvPVX (string)
+                  : utf8_distance (dec.cur, SvPVX (string));
       SV *uni = sv_newmortal ();
+
       // horrible hack to silence warning inside pv_uni_display
-      COP cop;
-      memset (&cop, 0, sizeof (cop));
+      COP cop = *PL_curcop;
       cop.cop_warnings = pWARN_NONE;
+      ENTER;
       SAVEVPTR (PL_curcop);
       PL_curcop = &cop;
-
       pv_uni_display (uni, dec.cur, dec.end - dec.cur, 20, UNI_DISPLAY_QQ);
+      LEAVE;
+
       croak ("%s, at character offset %d (%s)",
              dec.err,
              (int)offset,