diff --git a/src/ChangeLog b/src/ChangeLog
index 3edc48f054..8e86c9a220 100644
--- a/src/ChangeLog
+++ b/src/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2001-10-22  Juergen Vigna  <jug@sad.it>
+
+	* sp_pspell.h (class PSpell): add alive function needed in the
+	controller to see if the spellchecker could be started.
+
 2001-10-22  Juergen Vigna  <jug@sad.it>
 
 	* buffer.C (insertStringAsLines): modify the font for inserting
diff --git a/src/frontends/controllers/ChangeLog b/src/frontends/controllers/ChangeLog
index 88f072d55c..7a4c2f382a 100644
--- a/src/frontends/controllers/ChangeLog
+++ b/src/frontends/controllers/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2001-10-22  Juergen Vigna  <jug@sad.it>
+
+	* ControlSpellchecker.C (clearParams): use the error_ message of the
+	speller_ if available when the spellchecker died.
+	(setParams): remove double error message display.
+
 2001-10-15  Angus Leeming  <a.leeming@ic.ac.uk>
 
 	* ControlMinipage.[Ch] (getUnits): moved to helper_funcs.
diff --git a/src/frontends/controllers/ControlSpellchecker.C b/src/frontends/controllers/ControlSpellchecker.C
index e724c585b2..0bd1ce36e7 100644
--- a/src/frontends/controllers/ControlSpellchecker.C
+++ b/src/frontends/controllers/ControlSpellchecker.C
@@ -90,9 +90,11 @@ void ControlSpellchecker::setParams()
 		}
 		
 		if (speller_->error() != 0) {
+#if 0
 			message_ = speller_->error();
 			// show error message
 			view().partialUpdate(2);
+#endif
 			clearParams();
 			return;
 		}
@@ -215,9 +217,11 @@ void ControlSpellchecker::clearParams()
 		message_ = _("Spellchecking completed! ") + message_;
 
 	} else {
+		message_ = speller_->error();
 		speller_->cleanUp();
-		message_ = _("The spell checker has died for some reason.\n"
-			     "Maybe it has been killed.");
+		if (message_.empty())
+		    message_ = _("The spell checker has died for some reason.\n"
+				 "Maybe it has been killed.");
 
 		// make sure that the dialog is not launched
 		emergency_exit_ = true;
diff --git a/src/sp_pspell.h b/src/sp_pspell.h
index 0833c8945e..7c682bbc64 100644
--- a/src/sp_pspell.h
+++ b/src/sp_pspell.h
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ class PSpell : public SpellBase
     /// initialize spell checker
     void initialize(BufferParams const & params, string const & lang);
 
-    bool alive() { return true; }
+    bool alive() { return alive_; }
 
     /// clean up after error
     void cleanUp();
@@ -58,7 +58,8 @@ class PSpell : public SpellBase
     spellStatus flag;
 
     const char * error_;
-   
+
+    bool alive_;
 };
    
 #endif
diff --git a/src/sp_spell.C b/src/sp_spell.C
index ce6323cfaa..bb301cadd5 100644
--- a/src/sp_spell.C
+++ b/src/sp_spell.C
@@ -74,13 +74,15 @@ extern void sigchldchecker(pid_t pid, int * status);
 
 
 PSpell::PSpell() 
-	: sc(0), els(0), spell_error_object(0), flag(ISP_UNKNOWN)
+	: sc(0), els(0), spell_error_object(0), flag(ISP_UNKNOWN),
+	  alive_(false)
 {
 }
 
 
 PSpell::PSpell(BufferParams const & params, string const & lang)
-	: sc(0), els(0), spell_error_object(0), flag(ISP_UNKNOWN)
+	: sc(0), els(0), spell_error_object(0), flag(ISP_UNKNOWN),
+	  alive_(false)
 {
 	initialize(params, lang);
 }
@@ -106,6 +108,7 @@ void PSpell::initialize(BufferParams const &, string const & lang)
 		error_ = 0;
 		sc = to_pspell_manager(spell_error_object);
 		spell_error_object = 0;
+		alive_ = true;
 	}
 }