diff --git a/brouter-map-creator/src/main/java/btools/mapcreator/NodeData.java b/brouter-map-creator/src/main/java/btools/mapcreator/NodeData.java
index 515ac16..df1c28b 100644
--- a/brouter-map-creator/src/main/java/btools/mapcreator/NodeData.java
+++ b/brouter-map-creator/src/main/java/btools/mapcreator/NodeData.java
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ public class NodeData extends MapCreatorBase
     ilon = (int)dis.readDiffed( 1 );
     ilat = (int)dis.readDiffed( 2 );
     int mode = dis.readByte();
-    if ( ( mode & 1 ) != 0 ) { int dlen = dis.readByte(); description = new byte[dlen]; dis.readFully( description ); }
+    if ( ( mode & 1 ) != 0 ) { int dlen = dis.readShort(); description = new byte[dlen]; dis.readFully( description ); }
     if ( ( mode & 2 ) != 0 ) selev = dis.readShort();
   }
 
@@ -38,9 +38,15 @@ public class NodeData extends MapCreatorBase
     dos.writeDiffed( nid,  0 );
     dos.writeDiffed( ilon, 1 );
     dos.writeDiffed( ilat, 2 );
-    int mode = ( description == null ? 0 : 1 ) | ( selev == Short.MIN_VALUE ? 0 : 2 );
-    dos.writeByte( (byte)mode );
-    if ( ( mode & 1 ) != 0 ) { dos.writeByte( description.length ); dos.write( description ); }
-    if ( ( mode & 2 ) != 0 ) dos.writeShort( selev );
+    if (description != null && description.length > Byte.MAX_VALUE) {
+      System.err.printf("Node id (%s): description length (%d) is longer then maximum allowed (%d). The description will NOT be written.", nid, description.length, Byte.MAX_VALUE);
+      System.out.printf("Node id (%s): description length (%d) is longer then maximum allowed (%d). The description will NOT be written.", nid, description.length, Byte.MAX_VALUE);
+      dos.writeByte((byte) 0);
+    } else {
+      int mode = (description == null ? 0 : 1 ) | ( selev == Short.MIN_VALUE ? 0 : 2 );
+      dos.writeShort( (byte) mode);
+      if ( ( mode & 1 ) != 0 ) { dos.write( description.length ); dos.write( description ); }
+      if ( ( mode & 2 ) != 0 ) dos.writeShort( selev );
+    }
   }
 }