diff --git a/git-svn.perl b/git-svn.perl
index 37976f2505..3a6eb1cb9d 100755
--- a/git-svn.perl
+++ b/git-svn.perl
@@ -3191,7 +3191,7 @@ sub apply_textdelta {
 	if ($fb->{blob}) {
 		print $base 'link ' if ($fb->{mode_a} == 120000);
 		my $size = $::_repository->cat_blob($fb->{blob}, $base);
-		die "Failed to read object $fb->{blob}" unless $size;
+		die "Failed to read object $fb->{blob}" if ($size < 0);
 
 		if (defined $exp) {
 			seek $base, 0, 0 or croak $!;
@@ -3570,7 +3570,7 @@ sub chg_file {
 		$self->change_file_prop($fbat,'svn:special',undef);
 	}
 	my $size = $::_repository->cat_blob($m->{sha1_b}, $fh);
-	croak "Failed to read object $m->{sha1_b}" unless $size;
+	croak "Failed to read object $m->{sha1_b}" if ($size < 0);
 	$fh->flush == 0 or croak $!;
 	seek $fh, 0, 0 or croak $!;
 
diff --git a/perl/Git.pm b/perl/Git.pm
index 6ba8ee5c0d..d05b633b64 100644
--- a/perl/Git.pm
+++ b/perl/Git.pm
@@ -811,12 +811,12 @@ sub cat_blob {
 	my $description = <$in>;
 	if ($description =~ / missing$/) {
 		carp "$sha1 doesn't exist in the repository";
-		return 0;
+		return -1;
 	}
 
 	if ($description !~ /^[0-9a-fA-F]{40} \S+ (\d+)$/) {
 		carp "Unexpected result returned from git cat-file";
-		return 0;
+		return -1;
 	}
 
 	my $size = $1;