diff --git a/bindings/python/src/session.cpp b/bindings/python/src/session.cpp
index fb02fead0..9b0adc425 100644
--- a/bindings/python/src/session.cpp
+++ b/bindings/python/src/session.cpp
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
 #include <libtorrent/torrent_info.hpp>
 #include <libtorrent/kademlia/item.hpp> // for sign_mutable_item
 #include <libtorrent/alert.hpp>
+#include <libtorrent/time.hpp>
+
 #include <libtorrent/extensions/smart_ban.hpp>
 #include <libtorrent/extensions/ut_metadata.hpp>
 #include <libtorrent/extensions/ut_pex.hpp>
@@ -344,6 +346,28 @@ namespace
        return ret;
     }
 
+    list cached_piece_info_list(std::vector<cached_piece_info> const& v)
+    {
+       list pieces;
+       time_point now = clock_type::now();
+       for (std::vector<cached_piece_info>::const_iterator i = v.begin()
+          , end(v.end()); i != end; ++i)
+       {
+          dict d;
+          d["piece"] = i->piece;
+          d["last_use"] = total_milliseconds(now - i->last_use) / 1000.f;
+          d["next_to_hash"] = i->next_to_hash;
+          d["kind"] = i->kind;
+          pieces.append(d);
+       }
+       return pieces;
+    }
+
+    list cache_status_pieces(cache_status const& cs)
+    {
+        return cached_piece_info_list(cs.pieces);
+    }
+
 #ifndef TORRENT_NO_DEPRECATE
     cache_status get_cache_status(lt::session& s)
     {
@@ -372,19 +396,7 @@ namespace
           ses.get_cache_info(ih, ret);
        }
 
-       list pieces;
-       time_point now = clock_type::now();
-       for (std::vector<cached_piece_info>::iterator i = ret.begin()
-          , end(ret.end()); i != end; ++i)
-       {
-          dict d;
-          d["piece"] = i->piece;
-          d["last_use"] = total_milliseconds(now - i->last_use) / 1000.f;
-          d["next_to_hash"] = i->next_to_hash;
-          d["kind"] = i->kind;
-          pieces.append(d);
-       }
-       return pieces;
+       return cached_piece_info_list(ret);
     }
 #endif
 
@@ -646,6 +658,7 @@ void bind_session()
 #endif
     ;
     class_<cache_status>("cache_status")
+        .add_property("pieces", cache_status_pieces)
 #ifndef TORRENT_NO_DEPRECATE
         .def_readonly("blocks_written", &cache_status::blocks_written)
         .def_readonly("writes", &cache_status::writes)
diff --git a/bindings/python/test.py b/bindings/python/test.py
index 94edc3c29..886d4b80b 100644
--- a/bindings/python/test.py
+++ b/bindings/python/test.py
@@ -73,6 +73,14 @@ class test_torrent_handle(unittest.TestCase):
 		# from python
 		h.scrape_tracker()
 
+	def test_cache_info(self):
+		ses = lt.session({'alert_mask': lt.alert.category_t.all_categories, 'enable_dht': False})
+		ti = lt.torrent_info('url_seed_multi.torrent');
+		h = ses.add_torrent({'ti': ti, 'save_path': os.getcwd()})
+
+		cs = ses.get_cache_info(h)
+		self.assertEqual(cs.pieces, [])
+
 class test_torrent_info(unittest.TestCase):
 
 	def test_bencoded_constructor(self):
diff --git a/include/libtorrent/stack_allocator.hpp b/include/libtorrent/stack_allocator.hpp
index 2d2bcadcb..647ec1ad2 100644
--- a/include/libtorrent/stack_allocator.hpp
+++ b/include/libtorrent/stack_allocator.hpp
@@ -81,7 +81,11 @@ namespace libtorrent { namespace aux
 #pragma clang diagnostic pop
 #endif
 
-			if (len < 0) return copy_string("(format error)");
+			if (len < 0)
+			{
+				m_storage.resize(ret);
+				return copy_string("(format error)");
+			}
 
 			// +1 is to include the 0-terminator
 			m_storage.resize(ret + (len > 512 ? 512 : len) + 1);
@@ -92,6 +96,7 @@ namespace libtorrent { namespace aux
 		{
 			int const ret = int(m_storage.size());
 			int const size = int(buf.size());
+			if (size < 1) return -1;
 			m_storage.resize(ret + size);
 			std::memcpy(&m_storage[ret], buf.data(), size);
 			return ret;
@@ -99,7 +104,7 @@ namespace libtorrent { namespace aux
 
 		int allocate(int const bytes)
 		{
-			TORRENT_ASSERT(bytes >= 0);
+			if (bytes < 1) return -1;
 			int const ret = int(m_storage.size());
 			m_storage.resize(ret + bytes);
 			return ret;
@@ -107,14 +112,14 @@ namespace libtorrent { namespace aux
 
 		char* ptr(int const idx)
 		{
-			TORRENT_ASSERT(idx >= 0);
+			if(idx < 0) return NULL;
 			TORRENT_ASSERT(idx < int(m_storage.size()));
 			return &m_storage[idx];
 		}
 
 		char const* ptr(int const idx) const
 		{
-			TORRENT_ASSERT(idx >= 0);
+			if(idx < 0) return NULL;
 			TORRENT_ASSERT(idx < int(m_storage.size()));
 			return &m_storage[idx];
 		}
diff --git a/test/test_stack_allocator.cpp b/test/test_stack_allocator.cpp
index 9493ad48b..2f0fd7240 100644
--- a/test/test_stack_allocator.cpp
+++ b/test/test_stack_allocator.cpp
@@ -59,6 +59,14 @@ TORRENT_TEST(copy_buffer)
 	a.allocate(100000);
 
 	TEST_CHECK(strcmp(a.ptr(idx1), "testing") == 0);
+
+	// attempt zero size allocation
+	int const idx2 = a.copy_buffer("nothing", 0);
+	TEST_CHECK(idx2 == -1);
+
+	// attempt to get a pointer after zero allocation
+	char* ptr = a.ptr(idx2);
+	TEST_CHECK(ptr == NULL);
 }
 
 TORRENT_TEST(allocate)
@@ -75,6 +83,14 @@ TORRENT_TEST(allocate)
 	ptr = a.ptr(idx1);
 	for (int i = 0; i < 100; ++i)
 		TEST_CHECK(ptr[i] == char(i % 256));
+
+	// attempt zero size allocation
+	int const idx2 = a.allocate(0);
+	TEST_CHECK(idx2 == -1);
+
+	// attempt to get a pointer after zero allocation
+	ptr = a.ptr(idx2);
+	TEST_CHECK(ptr == NULL);
 }
 
 TORRENT_TEST(swap)