diff --git a/src/pkg/gob/decoder.go b/src/pkg/gob/decoder.go
index b4c0acdfa7..7e0c939300 100644
--- a/src/pkg/gob/decoder.go
+++ b/src/pkg/gob/decoder.go
@@ -79,10 +79,9 @@ func (dec *Decoder) Decode(e interface{}) os.Error {
 		var n int;
 		n, dec.state.err = io.ReadFull(dec.r, dec.buf[0:nbytes]);
 		if dec.state.err != nil {
-			break;
-		}
-		if n < int(nbytes) {
-			dec.state.err = io.ErrUnexpectedEOF;
+			if dec.state.err ==  os.EOF {
+				dec.state.err = io.ErrUnexpectedEOF;
+			}
 			break;
 		}
 
diff --git a/src/pkg/gob/encoder_test.go b/src/pkg/gob/encoder_test.go
index 06420c08e3..e1c64e4dd7 100644
--- a/src/pkg/gob/encoder_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/gob/encoder_test.go
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ func corruptDataCheck(s string, err os.Error, t *testing.T) {
 
 // Check that we survive bad data.
 func TestBadData(t *testing.T) {
-	corruptDataCheck("\x01\x01\x01", os.EOF, t);
+	corruptDataCheck("", os.EOF, t);
 	corruptDataCheck("\x7Fhi", io.ErrUnexpectedEOF, t);
 	corruptDataCheck("\x03now is the time for all good men", errBadType, t);
 }