diff --git a/Demo/pdist/client.py b/Demo/pdist/client.py
index b644180406e..d8f210e71bb 100755
--- a/Demo/pdist/client.py
+++ b/Demo/pdist/client.py
@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@ class Client:
 	"""RPC Client class.  No need to derive a class -- it's fully generic."""
 	
 	def __init__(self, address, verbose = VERBOSE):
+		self._pre_init(address, verbose)
+		self._post_init()
+	
+	def _pre_init(self, address, verbose = VERBOSE):
 		if type(address) == type(0):
 			address = ('', address)
 		self._address = address
@@ -29,6 +33,8 @@ class Client:
 		self._replies = {} # Unprocessed replies
 		self._rf = self._socket.makefile('r')
 		self._wf = self._socket.makefile('w')
+	
+	def _post_init(self):
 		self._methods = self._call('.methods')
 	
 	def __del__(self):
@@ -127,15 +133,16 @@ class SecureClient(Client, Security):
 
 	def __init__(self, *args):
 		import string
-		apply(Client.__init__, (self,) + args)
+		apply(self._pre_init, args)
 		Security.__init__(self)
 		line = self._rf.readline()
-		challenge = string.atoi(string.strip(firstline))
+		challenge = string.atoi(string.strip(line))
 		response = self._encode_challenge(challenge)
 		line = `long(response)`
 		if line[-1] in 'Ll': line = line[:-1]
 		self._wf.write(line + '\n')
 		self._wf.flush()
+		self._post_init()
 
 class _stub:
 	
diff --git a/Demo/pdist/security.py b/Demo/pdist/security.py
index 29bc9458743..a11294a91c0 100755
--- a/Demo/pdist/security.py
+++ b/Demo/pdist/security.py
@@ -5,10 +5,10 @@ class Security:
 		env = os.environ
 		if env.has_key('PYTHON_KEYFILE'):
 			keyfile = env['PYTHON_KEYFILE']
-		elif env.has_key('HOME'):
-			keyfile = env['HOME'] + '.python_keyfile'
 		else:
 			keyfile = '.python_keyfile'
+			if env.has_key('HOME'):
+				keyfile = os.path.join(env['HOME'], keyfile)
 		try:
 			self._key = eval(open(keyfile).readline())
 		except IOError:
@@ -23,4 +23,4 @@ class Security:
 
 	def _encode_challenge(self, challenge):
 		p, m = self._key
-		return pow(challenge, p, m)
+		return pow(long(challenge), p, m)