diff --git a/library/HTMLPurifier/Lexer/DirectLex.php b/library/HTMLPurifier/Lexer/DirectLex.php
index d68e2739..759c8f50 100644
--- a/library/HTMLPurifier/Lexer/DirectLex.php
+++ b/library/HTMLPurifier/Lexer/DirectLex.php
@@ -150,6 +150,14 @@ class HTMLPurifier_Lexer_DirectLex extends HTMLPurifier_Lexer
                 // We are in tag and it is well formed
                 // Grab the internals of the tag
                 $strlen_segment = $position_next_gt - $cursor;
+                
+                if ($strlen_segment < 1) {
+                    // there's nothing to process!
+                    $token = new HTMLPurifier_Token_Text('<');
+                    $cursor++;
+                    continue;
+                }
+                
                 $segment = substr($html, $cursor, $strlen_segment);
                 
                 // Check if it's a comment
@@ -372,6 +380,7 @@ class HTMLPurifier_Lexer_DirectLex extends HTMLPurifier_Lexer
                     $value = $quoted_value;
                 }
             }
+            if ($value === false) $value = '';
             return array($key => $value);
         }
         
@@ -386,7 +395,6 @@ class HTMLPurifier_Lexer_DirectLex extends HTMLPurifier_Lexer
         
         // infinite loop protection
         $loops = 0;
-        
         while(true) {
             
             // infinite loop protection
@@ -400,7 +408,6 @@ class HTMLPurifier_Lexer_DirectLex extends HTMLPurifier_Lexer
             }
             
             $cursor += ($value = strspn($string, $this->_whitespace, $cursor));
-            
             // grab the key
             
             $key_begin = $cursor; //we're currently at the start of the key
@@ -436,6 +443,11 @@ class HTMLPurifier_Lexer_DirectLex extends HTMLPurifier_Lexer
                 $cursor++;
                 $cursor += strspn($string, $this->_whitespace, $cursor);
                 
+                if ($cursor === false) {
+                    $array[$key] = '';
+                    break;
+                }
+                
                 // we might be in front of a quote right now
                 
                 $char = @$string[$cursor];
@@ -453,7 +465,14 @@ class HTMLPurifier_Lexer_DirectLex extends HTMLPurifier_Lexer
                     $value_end = $cursor;
                 }
                 
+                // we reached a premature end
+                if ($cursor === false) {
+                    $cursor = $size;
+                    $value_end = $cursor;
+                }
+                
                 $value = substr($string, $value_begin, $value_end - $value_begin);
+                if ($value === false) $value = '';
                 $array[$key] = $this->parseData($value);
                 $cursor++;
                 
diff --git a/tests/HTMLPurifier/Lexer/DirectLexTest.php b/tests/HTMLPurifier/Lexer/DirectLexTest.php
index ba7d0fe7..a9154093 100644
--- a/tests/HTMLPurifier/Lexer/DirectLexTest.php
+++ b/tests/HTMLPurifier/Lexer/DirectLexTest.php
@@ -59,6 +59,12 @@ class HTMLPurifier_Lexer_DirectLexTest extends UnitTestCase
         $input[12] = '="" =""';
         $expect[12] = array('"' => ''); // tough to say, just don't throw a loop
         
+        $input[13] = 'href="';
+        $expect[13] = array('href' => '');
+        
+        $input[14] = 'href=" <';
+        $expect[14] = array('href' => ' <');
+        
         $config = HTMLPurifier_Config::createDefault();
         $context = new HTMLPurifier_Context();
         $size = count($input);
diff --git a/tests/HTMLPurifier/LexerTest.php b/tests/HTMLPurifier/LexerTest.php
index 9ddefb1f..2fd10268 100644
--- a/tests/HTMLPurifier/LexerTest.php
+++ b/tests/HTMLPurifier/LexerTest.php
@@ -335,10 +335,21 @@ class HTMLPurifier_LexerTest extends UnitTestCase
         // test escaping
         $input[23] = '<!-- This comment < &lt; & -->';
         $expect[23] = array(
-            new HTMLPurifier_Token_Comment(' This comment < &lt; & ')
+            new HTMLPurifier_Token_Comment(' This comment < &lt; & ') );
+        $sax_expect[23] = false; $config[23] =
+        HTMLPurifier_Config::create(array('Core.AggressivelyFixLt' =>
+        true));
+        
+        // more DirectLex edge-cases 
+        $input[24] = '<a href="><>">';
+        $expect[24] = array(
+            new HTMLPurifier_Token_Start('a', array('href' => '')),
+            new HTMLPurifier_Token_Text('<">')
+        );
+        $sax_expect[24] = false;
+        $dom_expect[24] = array(
+            new HTMLPurifier_Token_Empty('a', array('href' => '><>'))
         );
-        $sax_expect[23] = false;
-        $config[21] = HTMLPurifier_Config::create(array('Core.AggressivelyFixLt' => true));
         
         $default_config = HTMLPurifier_Config::createDefault();
         $default_context = new HTMLPurifier_Context();