diff --git a/app.c b/app.c
index 86ad5077ca..401b4451ad 100755
--- a/app.c
+++ b/app.c
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ int ast_app_getdata(struct ast_channel *c, char *prompt, char *s, int maxlen, in
 {
 	int res,to,fto;
 	/* XXX Merge with full version? XXX */
+	if (maxlen)
+		s[0] = '\0';
 	if (prompt) {
 		res = ast_streamfile(c, prompt, c->language);
 		if (res < 0)
diff --git a/apps/app_read.c b/apps/app_read.c
index 103e857105..988ef8009e 100755
--- a/apps/app_read.c
+++ b/apps/app_read.c
@@ -103,9 +103,12 @@ static int read_exec(struct ast_channel *chan, void *data)
 	if (!res) {
 		ast_stopstream(chan);
 		res = ast_app_getdata(chan, filename, tmp, maxdigits, 0);
-		if (res > -1)
+		if (res > -1) {
 			pbx_builtin_setvar_helper(chan, varname, tmp);
-		ast_verbose(VERBOSE_PREFIX_3 "User entered '%s'\n", tmp);
+			ast_verbose(VERBOSE_PREFIX_3 "User entered '%s'\n", tmp);
+		} else {
+			ast_verbose(VERBOSE_PREFIX_3 "User entered nothing\n");
+		}
 	}
 	LOCAL_USER_REMOVE(u);
 	return res;