diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 05780bd..dfa6428 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -42,11 +42,11 @@ This is an alternative distribution of [jBCrypt](http://www.mindrot.org/projects
 packaged to ease use in existing applications — especially those using
 Apache Maven. 
 
-The code is unchanged from the original jBCrypt 0.3, however:
+The code is unchanged from the original jBCrypt 0.4, however:
 
 - The classes have been moved to a java package to avoid pollution of the
   global namespace. *org.mindrot* was chosen to reflect their original origin.
-- The JBCrypt class javadoc has been changed to version 0.3. The official
+- The JBCrypt class javadoc has been changed to version 0.4. The official
   package incorrectly contains 0.2 as the stated version.
 - A pom.xml file has been added for use with Maven 
 
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 3adcae9..fbf30f8 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
   <groupId>org.mindrot</groupId>
   <artifactId>jbcrypt</artifactId>
-  <version>0.3</version>
+  <version>0.4</version>
   <packaging>jar</packaging>
 
   <name>jbcrypt</name>
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/mindrot/BCrypt.java b/src/main/java/org/mindrot/BCrypt.java
index fbfa219..188193f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/mindrot/BCrypt.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/mindrot/BCrypt.java
@@ -56,10 +56,10 @@
  * <p>
  * The amount of work increases exponentially (2**log_rounds), so 
  * each increment is twice as much work. The default log_rounds is
- * 10, and the valid range is 4 to 31.
+ * 10, and the valid range is 4 to 30.
  *
  * @author Damien Miller
- * @version 0.3
+ * @version 0.4
  */
 public class BCrypt {
 	// BCrypt parameters
@@ -336,7 +336,9 @@ public class BCrypt {
 		0xb74e6132, 0xce77e25b, 0x578fdfe3, 0x3ac372e6
 	};
 
-	// bcrypt IV: "OrpheanBeholderScryDoubt"
+	// bcrypt IV: "OrpheanBeholderScryDoubt". The C implementation calls
+	// this "ciphertext", but it is really plaintext or an IV. We keep
+	// the name to make code comparison easier.
 	static private final int bf_crypt_ciphertext[] = {
 		0x4f727068, 0x65616e42, 0x65686f6c,
 		0x64657253, 0x63727944, 0x6f756274
@@ -602,15 +604,16 @@ private void ekskey(byte data[], byte key[]) {
 	 * @param salt	the binary salt to hash with the password
 	 * @param log_rounds	the binary logarithm of the number
 	 * of rounds of hashing to apply
+	 * @param cdata         the plaintext to encrypt
 	 * @return	an array containing the binary hashed password
 	 */
-	private byte[] crypt_raw(byte password[], byte salt[], int log_rounds) {
+	public byte[] crypt_raw(byte password[], byte salt[], int log_rounds,
+	    int cdata[]) {
 		int rounds, i, j;
-		int cdata[] = (int[])bf_crypt_ciphertext.clone();
 		int clen = cdata.length;
 		byte ret[];
 
-		if (log_rounds < 4 || log_rounds > 31)
+		if (log_rounds < 4 || log_rounds > 30)
 			throw new IllegalArgumentException ("Bad number of rounds");
 		rounds = 1 << log_rounds;
 		if (salt.length != BCRYPT_SALT_LEN)
@@ -618,7 +621,7 @@ private byte[] crypt_raw(byte password[], byte salt[], int log_rounds) {
 
 		init_key();
 		ekskey(salt, password);
-		for (i = 0; i < rounds; i++) {
+		for (i = 0; i != rounds; i++) {
 			key(password);
 			key(salt);
 		}
@@ -679,7 +682,8 @@ public static String hashpw(String password, String salt) {
 		saltb = decode_base64(real_salt, BCRYPT_SALT_LEN);
 
 		B = new BCrypt();
-		hashed = B.crypt_raw(passwordb, saltb, rounds);
+		hashed = B.crypt_raw(passwordb, saltb, rounds,
+		    (int[])bf_crypt_ciphertext.clone());
 
 		rs.append("$2");
 		if (minor >= 'a')
@@ -687,6 +691,10 @@ public static String hashpw(String password, String salt) {
 		rs.append("$");
 		if (rounds < 10)
 			rs.append("0");
+		if (rounds > 30) {
+			throw new IllegalArgumentException(
+			    "rounds exceeds maximum (30)");
+		}
 		rs.append(Integer.toString(rounds));
 		rs.append("$");
 		rs.append(encode_base64(saltb, saltb.length));
@@ -712,6 +720,10 @@ public static String gensalt(int log_rounds, SecureRandom random) {
 		rs.append("$2a$");
 		if (log_rounds < 10)
 			rs.append("0");
+		if (log_rounds > 30) {
+			throw new IllegalArgumentException(
+			    "log_rounds exceeds maximum (30)");
+		}
 		rs.append(Integer.toString(log_rounds));
 		rs.append("$");
 		rs.append(encode_base64(rnd, rnd.length));
@@ -747,6 +759,20 @@ public static String gensalt() {
 	 * @return	true if the passwords match, false otherwise
 	 */
 	public static boolean checkpw(String plaintext, String hashed) {
-		return (hashed.compareTo(hashpw(plaintext, hashed)) == 0);
+		byte hashed_bytes[];
+		byte try_bytes[];
+		try {
+			String try_pw = hashpw(plaintext, hashed);
+			hashed_bytes = hashed.getBytes("UTF-8");
+			try_bytes = try_pw.getBytes("UTF-8");
+		} catch (UnsupportedEncodingException uee) {
+			return false;
+		}
+		if (hashed_bytes.length != try_bytes.length)
+			return false;
+		byte ret = 0;
+		for (int i = 0; i < try_bytes.length; i++)
+			ret |= hashed_bytes[i] ^ try_bytes[i];
+		return ret == 0;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/mindrot/TestBCrypt.java b/src/test/java/org/mindrot/TestBCrypt.java
index 632bb6a..7ce8a81 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/mindrot/TestBCrypt.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/mindrot/TestBCrypt.java
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ public void testCheckpw_failure() {
 	 */
 	public void testInternationalChars() {
 		System.out.print("BCrypt.hashpw w/ international chars: ");
-		String pw1 = "ππππππππ";
+		String pw1 = "\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605";
 		String pw2 = "????????";
 
 		String h1 = BCrypt.hashpw(pw1, BCrypt.gensalt());