diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 1386aaeeb2..0d710f2a17 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+1999-12-21  Juergen Vigna  <jug@sad.it>
+
+	* src/table.C (Read): Now read bogus row format informations
+		if the format is < 5 so that afterwards the table can
+		be read by lyx but without any format-info. Fixed the
+		crash we experienced when not doing this.
+
 1999-12-21  Lars Gullik Bjønnes  <larsbj@lyx.org>
 
 	* src/text2.C (RedoHeightOfParagraph): rename arg cursor -> cur
diff --git a/src/table.C b/src/table.C
index 0c454dcb25..ac5b6487d3 100644
--- a/src/table.C
+++ b/src/table.C
@@ -872,13 +872,36 @@ void LyXTable::Read(FILE * file)
 #ifdef WITH_WARNINGS
 #warning Insert a error message window here that this format is not supported anymore
 #endif
+    a = b = c = d = -1;
     if (version < 5) {
-	    lyxerr << "Tabular format < 5 is not supported anymore\n"
-		    "Get an older version of LyX (< 1.1.x) for conversion!"
-		   << endl;
+	lyxerr << "Tabular format < 5 is not supported anymore\n"
+	    "Get an older version of LyX (< 1.1.x) for conversion!"
+	       << endl;
+	if (version > 2) {
+	    fgets(vtmp,sizeof(vtmp),file);
+	    sscanf(vtmp, "%d %d %d %d %d %d %d %d\n",
+		   &rows_arg, &columns_arg,
+		   &is_long_table_arg, &rotate_arg, &a, &b, &c, &d);
+	} else
+	    fscanf(file, "%d %d\n",
+		   &rows_arg, &columns_arg);
+	Init(rows_arg, columns_arg);
+	SetLongTable(is_long_table_arg);
+	SetRotateTable(rotate_arg);
+	for (i = 0; i<rows; i++){
+	    fgets(vtmp, sizeof(vtmp), file);
+	}
+	for (i = 0; i<columns; i++){
+	    fgets(vtmp, sizeof(vtmp), file);
+	}
+	for (i = 0; i < rows; ++i) {
+	    for (j = 0; j < columns; ++j) {
+		fgets(vtmp, sizeof(vtmp), file);
+	    }
+	}
+	set_row_column_number_info();
 	return;
     }
-    a = b = c = d = -1;
     fgets(vtmp, sizeof(vtmp), file);
     sscanf(vtmp, "%d %d %d %d %d %d %d %d\n", &rows_arg, &columns_arg,
 	   &is_long_table_arg, &rotate_arg, &a, &b, &c, &d);