diff --git a/src/SrmRideFile.cpp b/src/SrmRideFile.cpp
index 45dec6d28..0e3f521ef 100644
--- a/src/SrmRideFile.cpp
+++ b/src/SrmRideFile.cpp
@@ -131,11 +131,20 @@ RideFile *SrmFileReader::openRideFile(QFile &file, QStringList &errorStrings, QL
     readByte(in); // padding
     quint8 commentlen = readByte(in);
 
+    if( commentlen > 70 )
+        commentlen = 70;
+
     char comment[71];
     in.readRawData(comment, sizeof(comment) - 1);
     comment[commentlen] = '\0';
     result->setTag("Notes", QString(comment) );
 
+    // assert propper markercnt to avoid segfaults
+    if( in.status() != QDataStream::Ok ){
+        errorStrings << QString("failed to read file header" );
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
     result->setRecIntSecs(((double) recint1) / recint2);
     unsigned recintms = (unsigned) round(result->recIntSecs() * 1000.0);
 
@@ -190,6 +199,12 @@ RideFile *SrmFileReader::openRideFile(QFile &file, QStringList &errorStrings, QL
         (void) wheelcirc;
     }
 
+    // fail early to tell devs whats wrong with file
+    if( in.status() != QDataStream::Ok ){
+        errorStrings << QString("failed to read marker" );
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
     blockhdr *blockhdrs = new blockhdr[blockcnt+1];
     for (int i = 0; i < blockcnt; ++i) {
         // In the .srm files generated by Rainer Clasen's srmcmd,
@@ -203,11 +218,23 @@ RideFile *SrmFileReader::openRideFile(QFile &file, QStringList &errorStrings, QL
         blockhdrs[i].dt = blockhdrs[i].dt.addMSecs(hsecsincemidn * 10);
     }
 
+    // fail early to tell devs whats wrong with file
+    if( in.status() != QDataStream::Ok ){
+        errorStrings << QString("failed to read block headers" );
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
     quint16 zero = readShort(in);
     quint16 slope = readShort(in);
     quint16 datacnt = readShort(in);
     readByte(in); // padding
 
+    // fail early to tell devs whats wrong with file
+    if( in.status() != QDataStream::Ok ){
+        errorStrings << QString("failed to read calibration data" );
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
     result->setTag("Slope", QString("%1")
         .arg( 140.0 / 42781 * slope, 0, 'f', 2) );
     result->setTag("Zero Offset", QString("%1").arg(zero) );
@@ -297,6 +324,15 @@ RideFile *SrmFileReader::openRideFile(QFile &file, QStringList &errorStrings, QL
         }
     }
 
+    // assert some points were found. prevents segfault when looking at
+    // the overall markers[0].start/.end
+    // note: we're not checking in.status() to cope with truncated files
+
+    if( result->dataPoints().size() < 1 ){
+        errorStrings << QString("file contains no data points");
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
     double last = 0.0;
     for (int i = 1; i < markers.size(); ++i) {
         const marker &marker = markers[i];