diff -ur ldmud-3.3.714/src/simulate.c ldmud-3.3.714-zesstra/src/simulate.c
--- ldmud-3.3.714/src/simulate.c	2006-07-10 04:42:06.000000000 +0200
+++ ldmud-3.3.714-zesstra/src/simulate.c	2007-02-25 16:15:09.000000000 +0100
@@ -1762,6 +1762,13 @@
     if ('/' == lname[0])
         fatal("Improper filename '%s' passed to load_object()\n", lname);
 #endif
+    
+    // empty lnames may lead to a driver crash in enter_object_hash() if there 
+    // exists a file '.c' in the root of the mudlib.
+    if ((name_length=strlen(lname)) <= 1) {
+         load_object_error("Illegal file to load (empty filename)", lname, chain);
+         /* NOTREACHED */
+    }
 
     /* It could be that the passed filename is one of an already loaded
      * object. In that case, simply return that object.
@@ -1776,7 +1783,6 @@
      * the second because lname might be a buffer which is deleted
      * during the compilation process.
      */
-    name_length = strlen(lname);
     name = alloca(name_length+2);
     fname = alloca(name_length+4);
     if (!name || !fname)