diff --git a/crypto/conf/conf_def.c b/crypto/conf/conf_def.c
index 0451be01538d1d2f26a9161bd6ebec3e2736e7fd..ba2a8830b44804037b36d53c91932a82826bb68b 100644
--- a/crypto/conf/conf_def.c
+++ b/crypto/conf/conf_def.c
@@ -632,6 +632,11 @@ static int str_copy(CONF *conf, char *section, char **pto, char *from)
 			BUF_MEM_grow_clean(buf,(strlen(p)+buf->length-(e-from)));
 			while (*p)
 				buf->data[to++]= *(p++);
+
+			/* Since we change the pointer 'from', we also have
+			   to change the perceived length of the string it
+			   points at.  /RL */
+			len -= e-from;
 			from=e;
 			}
 		else