diff --git a/libs/fmt/fmt.c b/libs/fmt/fmt.c
index 790971ce9..a0da38e85 100644
--- a/libs/fmt/fmt.c
+++ b/libs/fmt/fmt.c
@@ -750,7 +750,7 @@ static void md5_finish( md5_context *ctx, uint8 digest[16] ) {
 
 HL_PRIM void HL_NAME(digest)( vbyte *out, vbyte *in, int length, int format ) {
 	if( format & 256 ) {
-		in = (vbyte*)hl_to_utf8((uchar*)in);
+		in = (vbyte*)hl_to_utf8_len((uchar*)in, length);
 		length = (int)strlen((char*)in);
 	}
 	hl_blocking(true);
diff --git a/src/hl.h b/src/hl.h
index 6220eb369..d042dbc40 100644
--- a/src/hl.h
+++ b/src/hl.h
@@ -650,6 +650,7 @@ HL_API vbyte *hl_copy_bytes( const vbyte *byte, int size );
 HL_API int hl_utf8_length( const vbyte *s, int pos );
 HL_API int hl_from_utf8( uchar *out, int outLen, const char *str );
 HL_API char *hl_to_utf8( const uchar *bytes );
+HL_API char *hl_to_utf8_len( const uchar *bytes, int len );
 HL_API uchar *hl_to_utf16( const char *str );
 HL_API uchar *hl_guid_str( int64 guid, uchar buf[14] );
 HL_API vdynamic *hl_virtual_make_value( vvirtual *v );
diff --git a/src/std/date.c b/src/std/date.c
index ff7af3898..0f0f9ce10 100644
--- a/src/std/date.c
+++ b/src/std/date.c
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ HL_PRIM int hl_date_from_time( double time ) {
 HL_PRIM int hl_date_from_string( vbyte *b, int len ) {
 	struct tm t;
 	int o = 0;
-	const char *str = hl_to_utf8((uchar*)b);
+	const char *str = hl_to_utf8_len((uchar*)b, len);
 	bool recal = true;
 	memset(&t,0,sizeof(struct tm));
 	switch( strlen(str) ) {
diff --git a/src/std/string.c b/src/std/string.c
index 73deacd20..bcf2bfa02 100644
--- a/src/std/string.c
+++ b/src/std/string.c
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ HL_PRIM vbyte *hl_utf16_to_utf8( vbyte *str, int len, int *size ) {
 	uchar *end = len == 0 ? NULL : c + len;
 	int utf8bytes = 0;
 	int p = 0;
-	while( c != end ) {
+	while( c < end ) {
 		unsigned int v = (unsigned int)*c;
 		if( v == 0 && end == NULL ) break;
 		if( v < 0x80 )
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ HL_PRIM vbyte *hl_utf16_to_utf8( vbyte *str, int len, int *size ) {
 	}
 	out = hl_gc_alloc_noptr(utf8bytes + 1);
 	c = (uchar*)str;
-	while( c != end ) {
+	while( c < end ) {
 		unsigned int v = (unsigned int)*c;
 		if( v < 0x80 ) {
 			out[p++] = (vbyte)v;
@@ -246,6 +246,11 @@ HL_PRIM char *hl_to_utf8( const uchar *bytes ) {
 	return (char*)hl_utf16_to_utf8((vbyte*)bytes, 0, &size);
 }
 
+HL_PRIM char *hl_to_utf8_len( const uchar *bytes, int len ) {
+	int size;
+	return (char*)hl_utf16_to_utf8((vbyte*)bytes, len, &size);
+}
+
 static void hl_buffer_hex( hl_buffer *b, int c ) {
 	static const uchar *hex = USTR("0123456789ABCDEF");
 	hl_buffer_char(b,'%');