diff --git a/src/machine.cpp b/src/machine.cpp
index 245b30577b..a4bf4c1d0e 100644
--- a/src/machine.cpp
+++ b/src/machine.cpp
@@ -718,7 +718,6 @@ parseUtf8NonAscii(Thread* t, Stream& s, object bytesSoFar, unsigned byteCount,
     value = v;
   }
   
-  charArrayBody(t, value, vi) = 0;
   return value;
 }
 
@@ -4239,8 +4238,8 @@ parseUtf8(Thread* t, const char* data, unsigned length)
    public:
     Client(Thread* t): t(t) { }
 
-    virtual void NO_RETURN handleError() {
-      vm::abort(t);
+    virtual void handleError() {
+      //      vm::abort(t);
     }
 
    private:
diff --git a/src/stream.h b/src/stream.h
index bd7542e496..3e438d465e 100644
--- a/src/stream.h
+++ b/src/stream.h
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ class Stream {
  public:
   class Client {
    public:
-    virtual void NO_RETURN handleError() = 0;
+    virtual void handleError() = 0;
   };
 
   Stream(Client* client, const uint8_t* data, unsigned size):
@@ -44,11 +44,7 @@ class Stream {
 
   void read(uint8_t* data, unsigned size) {
     if (size > this->size - position_) {
-      // GCC 4.4 will give us an uninitialized value warning in read1
-      // unless we do this: (it's smart enough to track data flow
-      // across functions but not smart enough to see we won't return
-      // from Client::handleError)
-      *data = 0;
+      memset(data, 0, size);
 
       client->handleError();
     } else {