diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index b7bca40..becaef5 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -99,24 +99,23 @@ PKG_CHECK_MODULES([QT_GUI], [Qt5Core Qt5Gui Qt5Widgets],
     UIC=${UIC:-$(pkg-config --variable=uic_location Qt5Core)}
     MOC=${MOC:-$(pkg-config --variable=moc_location Qt5Core)}
     have_qtgui=1],
-   [PKG_CHECK_MODULES([QT_GUI], [QtCore QtGui])],
-   [AC_DEFINE([HAVE_QTGUI])
-    UIC=${UIC:-$(pkg-config --variable=uic_location QtCore)}
-    MOC=${MOC:-$(pkg-config --variable=moc_location QtCore)}
-    have_qtgui=1],
-   [have_qtgui=0])
+   [PKG_CHECK_MODULES([QT_GUI], [QtCore QtGui],
+       [AC_DEFINE([HAVE_QTGUI])
+        UIC=${UIC:-$(pkg-config --variable=uic_location QtCore)}
+        MOC=${MOC:-$(pkg-config --variable=moc_location QtCore)}
+        have_qtgui=1],
+       [have_qtgui=0])])
 AM_CONDITIONAL(HAVE_QTGUI, test "$have_qtgui" = "1")
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES([QT_NETWORK], [Qt5Network],
-   [AC_DEFINE([HAVE_QTNETWORK])
-    UIC=${UIC:-$(pkg-config --variable=uic_location Qt5Core)}
+   [UIC=${UIC:-$(pkg-config --variable=uic_location Qt5Core)}
     MOC=${MOC:-$(pkg-config --variable=moc_location Qt5Core)}
     have_qtnetwork=1],
-   [PKG_CHECK_MODULES([QT_NETWORK], [QtNetwork])],
-   [AC_DEFINE([HAVE_QTNETWORK])
-    UIC=${UIC:-$(pkg-config --variable=uic_location QtCore)}
-    MOC=${MOC:-$(pkg-config --variable=moc_location QtCore)}
-    have_qtnetwork=1],
-   [have_qtnetwork=0])
+   [PKG_CHECK_MODULES([QT_NETWORK], [QtNetwork],
+       [AC_DEFINE([HAVE_QTNETWORK])
+        UIC=${UIC:-$(pkg-config --variable=uic_location QtCore)}
+        MOC=${MOC:-$(pkg-config --variable=moc_location QtCore)}
+        have_qtnetwork=1],
+       [have_qtnetwork=0])])
 AM_CONDITIONAL(HAVE_QTNETWORK, test "$have_qtnetwork" = "1")
 AC_SUBST(UIC)
 AC_SUBST(MOC)
diff --git a/doc/examples/makefile.am b/doc/examples/makefile.am
index 95d1a4f..c4ff17a 100644
--- a/doc/examples/makefile.am
+++ b/doc/examples/makefile.am
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ if HAVE_QTNETWORK
 noinst_PROGRAMS += suisse-id-demo
 noinst_HEADERS = suisse-id-demo.hxx
 suisse_id_demo_SOURCES = suisse-id-demo.cxx
-suisse_id_demo_CXXFLAGS = ${QT_NETWORK_CFLAGS} -fPIC
+suisse_id_demo_CXXFLAGS = ${QT_NETWORK_CFLAGS}
 suisse_id_demo_LDADD = ${QT_NETWORK_LIBS}
 endif
 
diff --git a/src/cardos.hxx b/src/cardos.hxx
index 1b19f87..a217a49 100644
--- a/src/cardos.hxx
+++ b/src/cardos.hxx
@@ -128,17 +128,21 @@ namespace cardos {
   //@{
 
   class BerValue {
+      
     public:
+      
       enum Class {
         UNIVERSAL        = 0x00,
         APPLICATION      = 0x40,
         CONTEXT_SPECIFIC = 0x80,
         PRIVATE          = 0xC0
       };
+      
       enum PC {
         PRIMITIVE   = 0x00,
         CONSTRUCTED = 0x20
       };
+      
       enum Type {
         END_OF_CONTENT           = 0x00,
         BOOLEAN                  = 0x01,
@@ -181,6 +185,10 @@ namespace cardos {
       }
       
       BerValue(std::string& content) {
+        set(content);
+      }
+      
+      void set(std::string& content) {
         if (content.size()<2)
           throw wrong_dataformat(content, "not a BER, header size too small: \""
                                  +crypto::binToHex(content)+"\"");
@@ -198,6 +206,11 @@ namespace cardos {
 
     public:
 
+      BerValue(const std::string& content) {
+        std::string contentCopy(content);
+        set(contentCopy);
+      }
+
       BerValue(unsigned char t, const std::string& v):
           _tag(t), _value(v) {
         if (isContainer())
@@ -274,7 +287,8 @@ namespace cardos {
       
       std::string print(int indent=0, int indentStep = 4) {
         std::stringstream ss;
-        ss<<std::string(indent*indentStep, ' ')<<'['<<crypto::binToHex(_tag)<<'=';
+        ss<<std::string(indent*indentStep, ' ')<<'['<<crypto::binToHex(_tag)
+          <<'=';
         switch (tagClass()) {
           case UNIVERSAL: ss<<"UNIVERSAL,"; break;
           case APPLICATION: ss<<"APPLICATION,"; break;
@@ -1471,8 +1485,8 @@ namespace cardos {
             return "No return code received";
           default:
             std::stringstream ss;
-            if ((ret&&0xff00)==0x6100)
-              ss<<(ret&&0xff)<<" bytes of response data can be received"
+            if ((ret&0xff00)==0x6100)
+              ss<<(ret&0xff)<<" bytes of response data can be received"
                 <<" with GET RESPONSE (only T=0 transmission protocol)";
             else
               ss<<"Unknown CardOS error code: 0x"<<std::hex<<ret;
diff --git a/src/makefile.am b/src/makefile.am
index 7e1d655..3fdec5d 100644
--- a/src/makefile.am
+++ b/src/makefile.am
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ cardgui_SOURCES = cardgui.cxx cardgui.hxx password.hxx cardgui-model.hxx \
 nodist_cardgui_SOURCES = cardgui_ui.hxx password_ui.hxx \
                          moc_cardgui.cxx moc_password.cxx moc_cardgui-model.cxx
 BUILT_SOURCES = ${nodist_cardgui_SOURCES}
-cardgui_CXXFLAGS = ${QT_GUI_CFLAGS} -fPIC
+cardgui_CXXFLAGS = ${QT_GUI_CFLAGS}
 cardgui_LDADD = ${QT_GUI_LIBS} libpcscxx.la ${libpcscxx_la_LIBADD}
 endif
 
diff --git a/src/suisseid.hxx b/src/suisseid.hxx
index 236d91c..c509f69 100644
--- a/src/suisseid.hxx
+++ b/src/suisseid.hxx
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ namespace suisseid {
       }
       
       virtual unsigned int maximalPinLength() {
-        if (_maxPinLen==0) evaluatePinLengths();
+        if (_maxPinLen==(unsigned int)-1) evaluatePinLengths();
         return _maxPinLen;
       }
 
@@ -376,11 +376,12 @@ namespace suisseid {
       }
 
       std::string versionFromMFFile(const std::string& file) {
+        CRYPTOLOG("log");
         pcsc::Connection::Reader::Transaction lock(_reader);
         try {
-          selectMfFile(file);
-          return _version = cardos::BerValues(readBinary())[0].string();
-        } catch (...) {
+          return _version = cardos::BerValue(readBinary(file))[0].string();
+        } catch (const std::exception& x) {
+          CRYPTOLOG("exception, no version file: "<<x.what());
           return _version = "<unknown>";
         }
       }