diff --git a/bson/bsonelement.h b/bson/bsonelement.h
index 8de6102ea7b..260c178ee62 100644
--- a/bson/bsonelement.h
+++ b/bson/bsonelement.h
@@ -205,7 +205,9 @@ namespace mongo {
         }
 
         /** Size (length) of a string element.
-            You must assure of type String first.  */
+            You must assure of type String first.  
+            @return string size including terminating null
+        */
         int valuestrsize() const {
             return *reinterpret_cast< const int* >( value() );
         }
diff --git a/db/key.cpp b/db/key.cpp
index 163e53bd50d..15df568591e 100644
--- a/db/key.cpp
+++ b/db/key.cpp
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 
 #include "pch.h"
 #include "key.h"
+#include "../util/unittest.h"
 
 namespace mongo {
 
@@ -274,12 +275,12 @@ namespace mongo {
             }
         case cstring:
             {
+                unsigned sz = *l;
                 l++; r++; // skip the size byte
-                // todo: see https://jira.mongodb.org/browse/SERVER-1300
-                int res = strcmp((const char *) l, (const char *) r);
+                // use memcmp as we (will) allow zeros in UTF8 strings
+                int res = memcmp(l, r, sz);
                 if( res ) 
                     return res;
-                unsigned sz = l[-1];
                 l += sz; r += sz;
                 break;
             }
@@ -433,4 +434,16 @@ namespace mongo {
         return p - _keyData;
     }
 
+    struct CmpUnitTest : public UnitTest {
+        void run() {
+            char a[2];
+            char b[2];
+            a[0] = -3;
+            a[1] = 0;
+            b[0] = 3;
+            b[1] = 0;
+            assert( strcmp(a,b)>0 && memcmp(a,b,2)>0 );
+        }
+    } cunittest;
+
 }