--- loncom/lonnet/perl/lonnet.pm	2011/01/08 06:13:20	1.1097
+++ loncom/lonnet/perl/lonnet.pm	2011/01/11 10:51:48	1.1098
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # The LearningOnline Network
 # TCP networking package
 #
-# $Id: lonnet.pm,v 1.1097 2011/01/08 06:13:20 raeburn Exp $
+# $Id: lonnet.pm,v 1.1098 2011/01/11 10:51:48 foxr Exp $
 #
 # Copyright Michigan State University Board of Trustees
 #
@@ -4438,15 +4438,18 @@ sub dump {
     my $rep=&reply("dump:$udomain:$uname:$namespace:$regexp:$range:$extra",$uhome);
     my @pairs=split(/\&/,$rep);
     my %returnhash=();
-    foreach my $item (@pairs) {
-	my ($key,$value)=split(/=/,$item,2);
-	$key = &unescape($key);
-	next if ($key =~ /^error: 2 /);
-	$returnhash{$key}=&thaw_unescape($value);
+    if (!($rep =~ /^error/ )) {
+	foreach my $item (@pairs) {
+	    my ($key,$value)=split(/=/,$item,2);
+	    $key = &unescape($key);
+	    next if ($key =~ /^error: 2 /);
+	    $returnhash{$key}=&thaw_unescape($value);
+	}
     }
     return %returnhash;
 }
 
+
 # --------------------------------------------------------- dumpstore interface
 
 sub dumpstore {