diff -urpN john-1.7.7-jumbo-5/src/md5_gen_fmt.c john-1.7.7-jumbo-6/src/md5_gen_fmt.c
--- john-1.7.7-jumbo-5/src/md5_gen_fmt.c	2011-05-27 18:38:16.000000000 +0000
+++ john-1.7.7-jumbo-6/src/md5_gen_fmt.c	2011-06-06 02:45:14.515625000 +0000
@@ -778,20 +778,21 @@ static void set_salt(void *salt)
 	{
 		if (*cp == '$' && cp[-1] == '$')
 		{
-			// found an 'additional' salt.
-			--cp;
-			*cp = 0;
-			// re-adjust salt len.
-			saltlen = cp-cursalt;
 			switch (cp[2]) 
 			{
 				case '2':
 					// salt2
+					--cp;
+					*cp = 0;
+					saltlen = cp-cursalt;
 					strnzcpy(cursalt2, &cp[3], sizeof(cursalt2));
 					saltlen2 = strlen(cursalt2);
 					break;
 				case 'U':
 					// username
+					--cp;
+					*cp = 0;
+					saltlen = cp-cursalt;
 					strnzcpy(username, &cp[3], sizeof(username));
 					usernamelen = strlen(username);
 					break;
@@ -799,14 +800,19 @@ static void set_salt(void *salt)
 					{
 						// Fld flags
 						int which = cp[3] - '0';
-						if (which < 0 || which > 9)
-							exit(fprintf(stderr, "Error, unknown salt string  $%s\n", &cp[1]));
-						strnzcpy(flds[which], &cp[4], sizeof(flds[0]));
-						fld_lens[which] = strlen(flds[which]);
+						if (which >= 0 && which <= 9) {
+							--cp;
+							*cp = 0;
+							saltlen = cp-cursalt;
+							strnzcpy(flds[which], &cp[4], sizeof(flds[0]));
+							fld_lens[which] = strlen(flds[which]);
+						}
 					}
 					break;
-				default:
-					exit(fprintf(stderr, "Error, unknown salt string  $%s\n", &cp[1]));
+
+				// NOTE this does not allow $$ to be in the salt string.
+//				default:
+//					exit(fprintf(stderr, "Error, unknown salt string  $%s\n", &cp[1]));
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -1375,15 +1381,21 @@ static void *salt(char *ciphertext)
 	if (curdat.md5_gen_FIXED_SALT_SIZE==0 && !curdat.bUserName && !curdat.FldMask)
 		return Salt;
 	if (!strncmp(ciphertext, "md5_gen(", 8)) {
-		if (ciphertext[curdat.md5_gen_SALT_OFFSET] == '$')
-			strnzcpy(Salt, &ciphertext[curdat.md5_gen_SALT_OFFSET-1], SALT_SIZE);
-		else
+		// this code is BROKEN in the case where we have a 'simple' salt, that starts with a '$' 
+		// character.  For now, I will simply comment these out, and they shoudl work fine.  NOTE, this
+		// will break complex salts, which do not start with a 'normal' salt.  Something like
+		// $$Uuser will now fail (if that is the entire salt).  But at this time, there are no 'canned'
+		// formats that use that, so this patch will work around the problem, giving me some time to
+		// address this for the 'complex' salt case, in a later version of md5_gen.
+//		if (ciphertext[curdat.md5_gen_SALT_OFFSET] == '$')
+//			strnzcpy(Salt, &ciphertext[curdat.md5_gen_SALT_OFFSET-1], SALT_SIZE);
+//		else
 			strnzcpy(Salt, &ciphertext[curdat.md5_gen_SALT_OFFSET], SALT_SIZE);
 	}
 	else {
-		if (ciphertext[curdat.md5_gen_SALT_OFFSET-strlen(curdat.md5_gen_WHICH_TYPE_SIG)] == '$')
-			strnzcpy(Salt, &ciphertext[curdat.md5_gen_SALT_OFFSET-strlen(curdat.md5_gen_WHICH_TYPE_SIG)-1], SALT_SIZE);
-		else
+//		if (ciphertext[curdat.md5_gen_SALT_OFFSET-strlen(curdat.md5_gen_WHICH_TYPE_SIG)] == '$')
+//			strnzcpy(Salt, &ciphertext[curdat.md5_gen_SALT_OFFSET-strlen(curdat.md5_gen_WHICH_TYPE_SIG)-1], SALT_SIZE);
+//		else
 			strnzcpy(Salt, &ciphertext[curdat.md5_gen_SALT_OFFSET-strlen(curdat.md5_gen_WHICH_TYPE_SIG)], SALT_SIZE);
 	}
 	if (curdat.md5_gen_salt_as_hex)