diff --git a/newlib/ChangeLog b/newlib/ChangeLog
index 6adf4f4d8..2e39d2b07 100644
--- a/newlib/ChangeLog
+++ b/newlib/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+Fri Feb 25 14:50:50 2000  Jeff Johnston <jjohnstn@cygnus.com>
+
+	* libc/stdio/flags.c (__sflags): Added check that mode[1]
+	is non-null before looking at mode[2].
+
 Thu Feb 24 11:43:00 2000  Ran Cabell <rcabell@norfolk.infi.net>
 
 	* libm/mathfp/sf_atan2.c: Fix atan2 typo for _DOUBLE_IS_32_BITS.
diff --git a/newlib/libc/stdio/flags.c b/newlib/libc/stdio/flags.c
index 6d62bd5bc..e448cca80 100644
--- a/newlib/libc/stdio/flags.c
+++ b/newlib/libc/stdio/flags.c
@@ -61,19 +61,19 @@ __sflags (ptr, mode, optr)
       ptr->_errno = EINVAL;
       return (0);
     }
-  if (mode[1] == '+' || mode[2] == '+')
+  if (mode[1] && (mode[1] == '+' || mode[2] == '+'))
     {
       ret = __SRW;
       m = O_RDWR;
     }
-  if (mode[1] == 'b' || mode[2] == 'b')
+  if (mode[1] && (mode[1] == 'b' || mode[2] == 'b'))
     {
 #ifdef O_BINARY
       m |= O_BINARY;
 #endif
     }
 #ifdef __CYGWIN__
-  else if (mode[1] == 't' || mode[2] == 't')
+  else if (mode[1] && (mode[1] == 't' || mode[2] == 't'))
 #else
   else
 #endif