diff --git a/Lib/test/test_binascii.py b/Lib/test/test_binascii.py
index b01f0e00c4d..8df450456ee 100755
--- a/Lib/test/test_binascii.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_binascii.py
@@ -148,6 +148,16 @@ class BinASCIITest(unittest.TestCase):
             "0"*75+"=\r\n=FF\r\n=FF\r\n=FF"
         )
 
+    def test_empty_string(self):
+        # A test for SF bug #1022953.  Make sure SystemError is not raised.
+        for n in ['b2a_qp', 'a2b_hex', 'b2a_base64', 'a2b_uu', 'a2b_qp',
+                  'b2a_hex', 'unhexlify', 'hexlify', 'crc32', 'b2a_hqx',
+                  'a2b_hqx', 'a2b_base64', 'rlecode_hqx', 'b2a_uu',
+                  'rledecode_hqx']:
+            f = getattr(binascii, n)
+            f('')
+        binascii.crc_hqx('', 0)
+
 def test_main():
     test_support.run_unittest(BinASCIITest)
 
diff --git a/Modules/binascii.c b/Modules/binascii.c
index 5bd730c6f7e..a374dc7cbfc 100644
--- a/Modules/binascii.c
+++ b/Modules/binascii.c
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ binascii_b2a_uu(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
 	}
 
 	/* We're lazy and allocate to much (fixed up later) */
-	if ( (rv=PyString_FromStringAndSize(NULL, bin_len*2)) == NULL )
+	if ( (rv=PyString_FromStringAndSize(NULL, bin_len*2+2)) == NULL )
 		return NULL;
 	ascii_data = (unsigned char *)PyString_AsString(rv);
 
@@ -491,8 +491,10 @@ binascii_a2b_hqx(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
 	if ( !PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "t#:a2b_hqx", &ascii_data, &len) )
 		return NULL;
 
-	/* Allocate a string that is too big (fixed later) */
-	if ( (rv=PyString_FromStringAndSize(NULL, len)) == NULL )
+	/* Allocate a string that is too big (fixed later) 
+	   Add two to the initial length to prevent interning which
+	   would preclude subsequent resizing.  */
+	if ( (rv=PyString_FromStringAndSize(NULL, len+2)) == NULL )
 		return NULL;
 	bin_data = (unsigned char *)PyString_AsString(rv);
 
@@ -528,6 +530,15 @@ binascii_a2b_hqx(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
 		Py_DECREF(rv);
 		return NULL;
 	}
+
+
+	assert(PyString_Check(rv));
+	assert((bin_data - (unsigned char *)PyString_AsString(rv)) >= 0);
+	assert(!PyString_CHECK_INTERNED(rv));
+	
+	assert(rv->ob_refcnt == 1);
+
+
 	_PyString_Resize(
 		&rv, (bin_data - (unsigned char *)PyString_AsString(rv)));
 	if (rv) {
@@ -553,7 +564,7 @@ binascii_rlecode_hqx(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
 		return NULL;
 
 	/* Worst case: output is twice as big as input (fixed later) */
-	if ( (rv=PyString_FromStringAndSize(NULL, len*2)) == NULL )
+	if ( (rv=PyString_FromStringAndSize(NULL, len*2+2)) == NULL )
 		return NULL;
 	out_data = (unsigned char *)PyString_AsString(rv);
 
@@ -602,7 +613,7 @@ binascii_b2a_hqx(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
 		return NULL;
 
 	/* Allocate a buffer that is at least large enough */
-	if ( (rv=PyString_FromStringAndSize(NULL, len*2)) == NULL )
+	if ( (rv=PyString_FromStringAndSize(NULL, len*2+2)) == NULL )
 		return NULL;
 	ascii_data = (unsigned char *)PyString_AsString(rv);