diff --git a/AddressBook.cpp b/AddressBook.cpp
index 75ca5761..dfd788bf 100644
--- a/AddressBook.cpp
+++ b/AddressBook.cpp
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ void AddressBook::LoadHosts ()
 		getline(f, s);
 
 		if (!s.length())
-			break;
+			continue; // skip empty line
 
 		size_t pos = s.find('=');
 
@@ -90,8 +90,11 @@ void AddressBook::LoadHosts ()
 			std::string addr = s.substr(pos);
 
 			Identity ident;
-			Base64ToByteStream (addr.c_str(), addr.length(), (uint8_t *)&ident, sizeof (ident));
-			m_Addresses[name] = CalculateIdentHash (ident);	
+			if (!ident.FromBase64(addr)) {
+				LogPrint ("hosts.txt: ignore ", name);
+				continue;
+			}
+			m_Addresses[name] = ident.Hash();
 			numAddresses++;
 		}		
 	}
diff --git a/Identity.cpp b/Identity.cpp
index 387eef50..435c0c9b 100644
--- a/Identity.cpp
+++ b/Identity.cpp
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #include <cryptopp/dsa.h>
 #include "CryptoConst.h"
 #include "Identity.h"
+#include "base64.h"
 
 namespace i2p
 {
@@ -17,6 +18,19 @@ namespace data
 		memcpy (publicKey, keys.publicKey, sizeof (publicKey) + sizeof (signingKey));
 		memset (certificate, 0, sizeof (certificate));		
 		return *this;
+	}
+
+	bool Identity::FromBase64 (const std::string& s)
+	{
+		size_t count = Base64ToByteStream (s.c_str(), s.length(), reinterpret_cast<uint8_t*> (this), sizeof (Identity));
+		return count == sizeof(Identity);
+	}
+
+	IdentHash Identity::Hash()
+	{
+		IdentHash hash;
+		CryptoPP::SHA256().CalculateDigest(reinterpret_cast<uint8_t*>(&hash), reinterpret_cast<uint8_t*> (this), sizeof (Identity));
+		return hash;
 	}	
 	
 	PrivateKeys& PrivateKeys::operator=(const Keys& keys)
diff --git a/Identity.h b/Identity.h
index 1dafdef4..902153dc 100644
--- a/Identity.h
+++ b/Identity.h
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ namespace i2p
 {
 namespace data
 {
+	class IdentHash;
+
 #pragma pack(1)
 
 	struct DHKeysPair // transient keys for transport sessions
@@ -32,6 +34,8 @@ namespace data
 		uint8_t certificate[3];
 
 		Identity& operator=(const Keys& keys);
+		bool FromBase64(const std::string&);
+		IdentHash Hash();
 	};	
 	
 	struct PrivateKeys // for eepsites