diff --git a/modules/wyrl/src/wyautl/core/Automaton.java b/modules/wyrl/src/wyautl/core/Automaton.java
index <HASH>..<HASH> 100644
--- a/modules/wyrl/src/wyautl/core/Automaton.java
+++ b/modules/wyrl/src/wyautl/core/Automaton.java
@@ -901,9 +901,9 @@ public final class Automaton {
 	public static final class Term extends State {

 		public int contents;

 

-		public Term(int kind) {

+		public Term(int kind) {			

 			super(kind);

-			if (kind < 0) {

+			if (kind < 0 || kind > (Integer.MAX_VALUE - 100)) {

 				throw new IllegalArgumentException("invalid term kind (" + kind

 						+ ")");

 			}

@@ -912,7 +912,7 @@ public final class Automaton {
 

 		public Term(int kind, int data) {

 			super(kind);

-			if (kind < 0) {

+			if (kind < 0 || kind > (Integer.MAX_VALUE - 100)) {

 				throw new IllegalArgumentException("invalid term kind (" + kind

 						+ ")");

 			}
WyRL: added some addition saftey checking code to catch an invalid term being constructed for #<I>