diff --git a/src/cpp/core/spelling/HunspellSpellChecker.cpp b/src/cpp/core/spelling/HunspellSpellChecker.cpp
index 1f21f8797b2..1752513e8fa 100644
--- a/src/cpp/core/spelling/HunspellSpellChecker.cpp
+++ b/src/cpp/core/spelling/HunspellSpellChecker.cpp
@@ -68,41 +68,43 @@ class HunspellSpellChecker : public SpellChecker
       return Success();
    }
 
+private:
+
+   // helpers
+   void copyToHunspellVector(std::vector<std::string>* pVec,
+                                    char **wlst,
+                                    int len)
+   {
+      for (int i=0; i < len; i++)
+      {
+         pVec->push_back(wlst[i]);
+      }
+      pHunspell_->free_list(&wlst, len);
+   }
+
 public:
    Error checkSpelling(const std::string& word, bool *pCorrect)
    {
-       std::string encoded;
-
-       Error error = iconvstrFunc_(word,"UTF-8",encoding_,false,&encoded);
-       if (error)
-       {
-          error = iconvstrFunc_(word,"UTF-8",encoding_,true,&encoded);
-          if (error)
-              return error;
-       }
-       *pCorrect = pHunspell_->spell(encoded.c_str());
-       return Success();
+      std::string encoded;
+
+      Error error = iconvstrFunc_(word,"UTF-8",encoding_,false,&encoded);
+      if (error)
+         return error;
+      *pCorrect = pHunspell_->spell(encoded.c_str());
+      return Success();
    }
 
    Error suggestionList(const std::string& word, std::vector<std::string>* pSug)
    {
-       char ** wlst;
-       std::string encoded;
-
-       Error error = iconvstrFunc_(word,"UTF-8",encoding_,false,&encoded);
-       if (error)
-       {
-          error = iconvstrFunc_(word,"UTF-8",encoding_,true,&encoded);
-          if (error)
-              return error;
-       }
-       int ns = pHunspell_->suggest(&wlst,encoded.c_str());
-       for (int i=0; i < ns; i++)
-       {
-           pSug->push_back(wlst[i]);
-       }
-       pHunspell_->free_list(&wlst, ns);
-       return Success();
+      char ** wlst;
+      std::string encoded;
+
+      Error error = iconvstrFunc_(word,"UTF-8",encoding_,false,&encoded);
+      if (error)
+         return error;
+      int ns = pHunspell_->suggest(&wlst,encoded.c_str());
+      copyToHunspellVector(pSug,wlst,ns);
+      return Success();
    }
 
    Error analyzeWord(const std::string& word, std::vector<std::string>* pResult)
@@ -112,20 +114,13 @@ class HunspellSpellChecker : public SpellChecker
 
       Error error = iconvstrFunc_(word,"UTF-8",encoding_,false,&encoded);
       if (error)
-      {
-         error = iconvstrFunc_(word,"UTF-8",encoding_,true,&encoded);
-         if (error)
-             return error;
-      }
+         return error;
       int ns = pHunspell_->analyze(&wlst,encoded.c_str());
-      for (int i=0; i < ns; i++)
-      {
-          pResult->push_back(wlst[i]);
-      }
-      pHunspell_->free_list(&wlst, ns);
+      copyToHunspellVector(pResult,wlst,ns);
       return Success();
    }
 
+
 private:
    boost::scoped_ptr<Hunspell> pHunspell_;
    IconvstrFunction iconvstrFunc_;
diff --git a/src/cpp/session/modules/SessionSpelling.cpp b/src/cpp/session/modules/SessionSpelling.cpp
index fcce5469caf..e23a7103963 100644
--- a/src/cpp/session/modules/SessionSpelling.cpp
+++ b/src/cpp/session/modules/SessionSpelling.cpp
@@ -44,6 +44,13 @@ SEXP rs_checkSpelling(SEXP wordSEXP)
 
    Error error = s_pSpellChecker->checkSpelling(word,&isCorrect);
 
+   // We'll return true here so as not to tie up the front end.
+   if (error)
+   {
+      LOG_ERROR(error);
+      isCorrect = true;
+   }
+
    r::sexp::Protect rProtect;
    return r::sexp::create(isCorrect, &rProtect);
 }
@@ -53,7 +60,10 @@ SEXP rs_suggestionList(SEXP wordSEXP)
     std::string word = r::sexp::asString(wordSEXP);
     std::vector<std::string> sugs;
 
-    s_pSpellChecker->suggestionList(word,&sugs);
+    Error error = s_pSpellChecker->suggestionList(word,&sugs);
+
+   if (error)
+      LOG_ERROR(error);
 
     r::sexp::Protect rProtect;
     return r::sexp::create(sugs,&rProtect);
@@ -77,22 +87,22 @@ SEXP rs_analyzeWord(SEXP wordSEXP)
 Error initialize()
 {
    // register rs_ensureFileHidden with R
-   R_CallMethodDef checkSpellingMethodDef;
-
-   checkSpellingMethodDef.name = "rs_checkSpelling" ;
-   checkSpellingMethodDef.fun = (DL_FUNC) rs_checkSpelling ;
-   checkSpellingMethodDef.numArgs = 1;
-   r::routines::addCallMethod(checkSpellingMethodDef);
-
-   checkSpellingMethodDef.name = "rs_suggestionList" ;
-   checkSpellingMethodDef.fun = (DL_FUNC) rs_suggestionList ;
-   checkSpellingMethodDef.numArgs = 1;
-   r::routines::addCallMethod(checkSpellingMethodDef);
-
-   checkSpellingMethodDef.name = "rs_analyzeWord" ;
-   checkSpellingMethodDef.fun = (DL_FUNC) rs_analyzeWord ;
-   checkSpellingMethodDef.numArgs = 1;
-   r::routines::addCallMethod(checkSpellingMethodDef);
+   R_CallMethodDef methodDef;
+
+   methodDef.name = "rs_checkSpelling" ;
+   methodDef.fun = (DL_FUNC) rs_checkSpelling ;
+   methodDef.numArgs = 1;
+   r::routines::addCallMethod(methodDef);
+
+   methodDef.name = "rs_suggestionList" ;
+   methodDef.fun = (DL_FUNC) rs_suggestionList ;
+   methodDef.numArgs = 1;
+   r::routines::addCallMethod(methodDef);
+
+   methodDef.name = "rs_analyzeWord" ;
+   methodDef.fun = (DL_FUNC) rs_analyzeWord ;
+   methodDef.numArgs = 1;
+   r::routines::addCallMethod(methodDef);
 
    // initialize the spell checker
    using namespace core::spelling;