diff --git a/java/org/puredata/core/PdBase.java b/java/org/puredata/core/PdBase.java
index 4624ba89d..e3eca9c25 100644
--- a/java/org/puredata/core/PdBase.java
+++ b/java/org/puredata/core/PdBase.java
@@ -503,8 +503,7 @@ public synchronized native static int sendPolyAftertouch(int channel,
 	public synchronized native static int sendSysRealTime(int port, int value);
 
 	private static int processArgs(Object[] args) {
-		int maxArgs = startMessage();
-		if (args.length > maxArgs) {
+		if (startMessage(args.length) != 0) {
 			return -100;
 		}
 		for (Object arg : args) {
@@ -526,7 +525,7 @@ private static int processArgs(Object[] args) {
 
 	private native static void initialize();
 
-	private native static int startMessage();
+	private native static int startMessage(int length);
 
 	private native static void addFloat(float x);
 
diff --git a/libpd_wrapper/z_jni.c b/libpd_wrapper/z_jni.c
index 05bf8229c..4517f0907 100644
--- a/libpd_wrapper/z_jni.c
+++ b/libpd_wrapper/z_jni.c
@@ -398,8 +398,8 @@ JNIEXPORT jint JNICALL Java_org_puredata_core_PdBase_sendSymbol
 }
 
 JNIEXPORT jint JNICALL Java_org_puredata_core_PdBase_startMessage
-(JNIEnv *env, jclass cls) {
-  return libpd_start_message();
+(JNIEnv *env, jclass cls, jint length) {
+  return libpd_start_message(length);
 }
 
 JNIEXPORT void JNICALL Java_org_puredata_core_PdBase_addFloat
diff --git a/libpd_wrapper/z_jni.h b/libpd_wrapper/z_jni.h
index 4dfcbc21f..51879a854 100644
--- a/libpd_wrapper/z_jni.h
+++ b/libpd_wrapper/z_jni.h
@@ -210,10 +210,10 @@ JNIEXPORT void JNICALL Java_org_puredata_core_PdBase_initialize
 /*
  * Class:     org_puredata_core_PdBase
  * Method:    startMessage
- * Signature: ()I
+ * Signature: (I)I
  */
 JNIEXPORT jint JNICALL Java_org_puredata_core_PdBase_startMessage
-  (JNIEnv *, jclass);
+  (JNIEnv *, jclass, jint);
 
 /*
  * Class:     org_puredata_core_PdBase
diff --git a/libpd_wrapper/z_libpd.c b/libpd_wrapper/z_libpd.c
index 42288e6e7..bd8146c9a 100644
--- a/libpd_wrapper/z_libpd.c
+++ b/libpd_wrapper/z_libpd.c
@@ -192,10 +192,10 @@ int libpd_message(const char *recv, const char *msg, int n, t_atom *v) {
 static t_atom argv[MAXMSGLENGTH], *curr;
 static int argc;
 
-int libpd_start_message(void) {
+int libpd_start_message(int length) {
   argc = 0;
   curr = argv;
-  return MAXMSGLENGTH;
+  return (length > MAXMSGLENGTH);
 }
 
 #define ADD_ARG(f) f(curr, x); curr++; argc++;
diff --git a/libpd_wrapper/z_libpd.h b/libpd_wrapper/z_libpd.h
index e890baadf..a4888dc19 100644
--- a/libpd_wrapper/z_libpd.h
+++ b/libpd_wrapper/z_libpd.h
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ void libpd_set_symbol(t_atom *v, const char *sym);
 int libpd_list(const char *recv, int argc, t_atom *argv);
 int libpd_message(const char *recv, const char *msg, int argc, t_atom *argv);
 
-int libpd_start_message(void);
+int libpd_start_message(int length);
 void libpd_add_float(float x);
 void libpd_add_symbol(const char *sym);
 int libpd_finish_list(const char *recv);
diff --git a/objc/PdBase.m b/objc/PdBase.m
index c819950ef..efd5481f8 100644
--- a/objc/PdBase.m
+++ b/objc/PdBase.m
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ + (void)sendSymbol:(NSString *)symbol toReceiver:(NSString *)receiverName {
 
 + (void)sendList:(NSArray *)list toReceiver:(NSString *)receiverName {
   @synchronized(self) {
-    libpd_start_message();
+    if (libpd_start_message([list count])) return;
     encodeList(list);
     libpd_finish_list([receiverName cStringUsingEncoding:NSASCIIStringEncoding]);
   }
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ + (void)sendList:(NSArray *)list toReceiver:(NSString *)receiverName {
 
 + (void)sendMessage:(NSString *)message withArguments:(NSArray *)list toReceiver:(NSString *)receiverName {
   @synchronized(self) {
-    libpd_start_message();
+    if (libpd_start_message([list count])) return;
     encodeList(list);
     libpd_finish_message([receiverName cStringUsingEncoding:NSASCIIStringEncoding],
         [message cStringUsingEncoding:NSASCIIStringEncoding]);
diff --git a/python/pylibpd.i b/python/pylibpd.i
index d8e78df99..eead53b33 100644
--- a/python/pylibpd.i
+++ b/python/pylibpd.i
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ int libpd_symbol(const char *dest, const char *sym);
 %rename(__libpd_add_symbol) libpd_add_symbol;
 %rename(__libpd_finish_list) libpd_finish_list;
 %rename(__libpd_finish_message) libpd_finish_message;
-int libpd_start_message();
+int libpd_start_message(int);
 void libpd_add_float(float);
 void libpd_add_symbol(const char *);
 int libpd_finish_list(const char *);
@@ -96,8 +96,7 @@ SET_CALLBACK(midibyte)
 import array
 
 def __process_args(args):
-  n = __libpd_start_message();
-  if (len(args) > n): return -1
+  if __libpd_start_message(len(args)): return -2
   for arg in args:
       if isinstance(arg, str):
         __libpd_add_symbol(arg)
diff --git a/samples/test/pdtest.c b/samples/test/pdtest.c
index 3cc5f8050..ad830699b 100644
--- a/samples/test/pdtest.c
+++ b/samples/test/pdtest.c
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
                                  // block size 64, one tick per buffer
 
   // compute audio    [; pd dsp 1(
-  libpd_start_message();
+  libpd_start_message(1); // one entry in list
   libpd_add_float(1.0f);
   libpd_finish_message("pd", "dsp");