diff --git a/trunk/ripnews/ripnews.rb b/trunk/ripnews/ripnews.rb
index be7b4bc..a534889 100755
--- a/trunk/ripnews/ripnews.rb
+++ b/trunk/ripnews/ripnews.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/local/bin/ruby -w
 
-# $Dwarf: ripnews.rb,v 1.75 2003/07/13 11:18:09 ward Exp $
+# $Dwarf: ripnews.rb,v 1.76 2003/07/20 20:32:01 ward Exp $
 # $Source$
 
 #
@@ -260,13 +260,18 @@ def lock
 			lock = File.open(@config[group]["LOCKFILE"],  "r")
 			line = lock.gets
 			lock.close
-			line.chomp!
-			psauxw = `ps -auxw`
-			if /^\S+\s+#{line}\s+/.match(psauxw)
-				print "Already running, exiting...\n"
-				exit
+			if line
+				line.chomp!
+				psauxw = `ps -auxw`
+				if /^\S+\s+#{line}\s+/.match(psauxw)
+					print "Already running, exiting...\n"
+					exit
+				else
+					print "Stale lock found... removing...\n"
+					File.unlink(@config[group]["LOCKFILE"])
+				end
 			else
-				print "Stale lock found... removing...\n"
+				print "Empty lockfile found... removing...\n"
 				File.unlink(@config[group]["LOCKFILE"])
 			end
 		end