diff --git a/src/pager.c b/src/pager.c
index 12bf5e985..4033a1746 100644
--- a/src/pager.c
+++ b/src/pager.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* NetHack 3.5	pager.c	$NHDT-Date: 1429888966 2015/04/24 15:22:46 $  $NHDT-Branch: master $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.65 $ */
+/* NetHack 3.5	pager.c	$NHDT-Date: 1429916796 2015/04/24 23:06:36 $  $NHDT-Branch: master $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.66 $ */
 /* NetHack 3.5	pager.c	$Date: 2012/01/15 09:27:06 $  $Revision: 1.41 $ */
 /* Copyright (c) Stichting Mathematisch Centrum, Amsterdam, 1985. */
 /* NetHack may be freely redistributed.  See license for details. */
@@ -676,7 +676,7 @@ do_look(mode, click_cc)
 {
     boolean quick = (mode == 1); /* use cursor && don't search for "more info" */
     boolean clicklook = (mode == 2); /* right mouse-click method */
-    char    out_str[BUFSZ] = {0};
+    char    out_str[BUFSZ];
     const char *firstmatch = 0;
     struct permonst *pm = 0;
     int     i = '\0', ans = 0;
@@ -727,15 +727,17 @@ do_look(mode, click_cc)
 	    {
 		char invlet;
 		struct obj *invobj;
+
 		invlet = display_inventory(NULL, TRUE);
-		if (!invlet) return 0;
+		if (!invlet || invlet == '\033') return 0;
+		*out_str = '\0';
 		for (invobj = invent; invobj; invobj = invobj->nobj)
 		    if (invobj->invlet == invlet) {
 			strcpy(out_str, singular(invobj, xname));
 			break;
 		    }
-		if (!out_str[1]) return 0;
-		checkfile(out_str, pm, TRUE, TRUE);
+		if (*out_str)
+		    checkfile(out_str, pm, TRUE, TRUE);
 		return 0;
 	    }
 	    break;