diff --git a/funcs/utils.c b/funcs/utils.c
index 6a3e8d0..b8e64be 100644
--- a/funcs/utils.c
+++ b/funcs/utils.c
@@ -108,7 +108,13 @@ return -1;
 /* --------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 int print_rectangle(char *str, FimgArea51 *rect)
 {
-printf("rect @ %p  '%s':\n\t %dx%d  at  %d,%d\n", rect, str,
+if (MAGIC_AREA51 != rect->magic) {
+	fprintf(stderr, "%s: bad magic number 0x%08X\n", __func__,
+						rect->magic);
+	return -666;
+	}
+
+printf("rect @ %p  '%s'  :\n\t %dx%d  at  %d,%d\n", rect, str,
 			rect->w, rect->h, rect->x, rect->y);
 return 0;
 }
@@ -120,22 +126,26 @@ int parse_rectangle(char *str, FimgArea51 *r, int notused)
 {
 int		x, y, w, h, foo;
 
+#if DEBUG_LEVEL
+fprintf(stderr, ">>> %s ( %s %p %d )\n", __func__, str, r, notused);
+#endif
+
 if (notused) {
 	fprintf(stderr, "notused was %d, must be 0 in %s\n",
-				notused, 		__func__);
-	}
-
-if (verbosity)
-	fprintf(stderr, "parsing %s\n", str);
+				notused, 		__func__);	}
 
+if (verbosity > 1) fprintf(stderr, "parsing '%s'\n", str);
 foo = sscanf(str, "%d,%d,%d,%d", &w, &h, &x, &y);
 if (4 == foo) {
 	r->x = x, r->y = y, r->w = w, r->h = h;
+	r->magic = MAGIC_AREA51;
 	return 4;
 	}
+
+r->magic = 0xBAD;
+
 return -1;
 }
-
 /* --------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 int format_from_extension(char *fname)
 {