--- a/ExternalStream.st	Thu Dec 07 12:46:07 1995 +0100
+++ b/ExternalStream.st	Thu Dec 07 13:43:26 1995 +0100
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@
 !
 
 version
-    ^ '$Header: /cvs/stx/stx/libbasic/ExternalStream.st,v 1.74 1995-12-04 10:51:47 cg Exp $'
+    ^ '$Header: /cvs/stx/stx/libbasic/ExternalStream.st,v 1.75 1995-12-07 12:43:26 cg Exp $'
 ! !
 
 !ExternalStream class methodsFor:'initialization'!
@@ -2415,10 +2415,12 @@
 	    if (peekC == '{') {
 		inPrimitive++;
 	    } else if (peekC == '}') {
-		inPrimitive--;
+		if (inPrimitive > 0) {
+		    inPrimitive--;
+		}
 	    }
 	} else {
-	    if (! inPrimitive) {
+	    if (inPrimitive) {
 		if (c == '!') {
 		    __BEGIN_INTERRUPTABLE__
 		    do {