--- a/Objects/stringobject.c	Thu Jan 02 04:54:22 2003 +0000
+++ b/Objects/stringobject.c	Thu Jan 02 22:08:39 2003 +0000
@@ -3059,21 +3059,31 @@
 		prec = 6;
 	if (type == 'f' && fabs(x)/1e25 >= 1e25)
 		type = 'g';
-	PyOS_snprintf(fmt, sizeof(fmt), "%%%s.%d%c",
-		      (flags&F_ALT) ? "#" : "",
-		      prec, type);
-	/* worst case length calc to ensure no buffer overrun:
+	/* Worst case length calc to ensure no buffer overrun:
+
+	   'g' formats:
 	     fmt = %#.<prec>g
 	     buf = '-' + [0-9]*prec + '.' + 'e+' + (longest exp
 	        for any double rep.)
 	     len = 1 + prec + 1 + 2 + 5 = 9 + prec
+
+	   'f' formats:
+	     buf = '-' + [0-9]*x + '.' + [0-9]*prec (with x < 50)
+	     len = 1 + 50 + 1 + prec = 52 + prec
+
 	   If prec=0 the effective precision is 1 (the leading digit is
-	   always given), therefore increase by one to 10+prec. */
-	if (buflen <= (size_t)10 + (size_t)prec) {
+	   always given), therefore increase the length by one. 
+
+	*/
+	if ((type == 'g' && buflen <= (size_t)10 + (size_t)prec) ||
+	    (type == 'f' && buflen <= (size_t)53 + (size_t)prec)) {
 		PyErr_SetString(PyExc_OverflowError,
 			"formatted float is too long (precision too large?)");
 		return -1;
 	}
+	PyOS_snprintf(fmt, sizeof(fmt), "%%%s.%d%c",
+		      (flags&F_ALT) ? "#" : "",
+		      prec, type);
 	PyOS_snprintf(buf, buflen, fmt, x);
 	return strlen(buf);
 }