diff --git a/src/modules/m_vhost.c b/src/modules/m_vhost.c
index 2f07d74b8..6fcacc092 100644
--- a/src/modules/m_vhost.c
+++ b/src/modules/m_vhost.c
@@ -154,16 +154,9 @@ int  m_vhost(aClient *cptr, aClient *sptr, int parc, char *parv[])
 				/* join sent later when the host has been changed */
 				break;
 		}
-		if (sptr->user->virthost)
+		safestrdup(sptr->user->virthost, vhost->virthost);
+		if (vhost->virtuser)
 		{
-			MyFree(sptr->user->virthost);
-			sptr->user->virthost = NULL;
-		}
-		len = strlen(vhost->virthost);
-		length =  len > HOSTLEN ? HOSTLEN : len;
-		sptr->user->virthost = MyMalloc(length + 1);
-		strlcpy(sptr->user->virthost, vhost->virthost, length + 1);
-		if (vhost->virtuser) {
 			strcpy(olduser, sptr->user->username);
 			strlcpy(sptr->user->username, vhost->virtuser, USERLEN);
 			sendto_server(cptr, 0, 0, ":%s SETIDENT %s", sptr->name,
diff --git a/src/s_misc.c b/src/s_misc.c
index ae6b83316..4d886907e 100644
--- a/src/s_misc.c
+++ b/src/s_misc.c
@@ -791,10 +791,15 @@ char text[2048];
  */
 int valid_host(char *host)
 {
-char *p;
+	char *p;
+	
+	if (strlen(host) > HOSTLEN)
+		return 0; /* too long hosts are invalid too */
+
 	for (p=host; *p; p++)
 		if (!isalnum(*p) && (*p != '_') && (*p != '-') && (*p != '.') && (*p != ':'))
 			return 0;
+
 	return 1;
 }