diff --git a/trunk/ripnews/news/article.rb b/trunk/ripnews/news/article.rb
index c205172..fe3b277 100644
--- a/trunk/ripnews/news/article.rb
+++ b/trunk/ripnews/news/article.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #################################
 #
-# $Dwarf: article.rb,v 1.61 2003/04/20 18:39:13 ward Exp $
+# $Dwarf: article.rb,v 1.62 2003/04/22 21:30:07 ward Exp $
 # $Source$
 #
 # article.rb
@@ -97,8 +97,10 @@ def get_articles(cachedir=false)
 			print "	First: #{first}\n"
 			print "	Last: #{last}\n"
 			# clean up old newsrc entries
-			@connections[server]["newsrc"].unmark_range(@group, 0, (@connections[server]["first"].to_i-1).to_s)
-			@connections[server]["newsrc"].save
+			if @connections[server]["first"] > 0
+				@connections[server]["newsrc"].unmark_range(@group, 0, (@connections[server]["first"].to_i-1).to_s)
+				@connections[server]["newsrc"].save
+			end
 		else
 			print "	First article has higher number than last article on server #{server}.\n"
 			del_server(server)