diff -Nurd nethack-3.4.3-conducts/include/extern.h nethack-3.4.3-conbon/include/extern.h
--- nethack-3.4.3-conducts/include/extern.h	2005-01-18 01:13:16.000000000 +0100
+++ nethack-3.4.3-conbon/include/extern.h	2005-01-20 08:58:00.000000000 +0100
@@ -609,8 +609,8 @@
 E char *FDECL(fname_decode, (CHAR_P, char *, char *, int));
 E const char *FDECL(fqname, (const char *, int, int));
 E FILE *FDECL(fopen_datafile, (const char *,const char *,int));
-E boolean FDECL(uptodate, (int,const char *));
-E void FDECL(store_version, (int));
+E boolean FDECL(uptodate, (int,const char *,int));
+E void FDECL(store_version, (int, int));
 #ifdef MFLOPPY
 E void NDECL(set_lock_and_bones);
 #endif
@@ -2116,7 +2116,7 @@
 E boolean FDECL(comp_times, (long));
 #endif
 E boolean FDECL(check_version, (struct version_info *,
-				const char *,BOOLEAN_P));
+				const char *,BOOLEAN_P,BOOLEAN_P));
 E unsigned long FDECL(get_feature_notice_ver, (char *));
 E unsigned long NDECL(get_current_feature_ver);
 #ifdef RUNTIME_PORT_ID
diff -Nurd nethack-3.4.3-conducts/include/you.h nethack-3.4.3-conbon/include/you.h
--- nethack-3.4.3-conducts/include/you.h	2005-01-18 00:03:30.000000000 +0100
+++ nethack-3.4.3-conbon/include/you.h	2005-01-20 08:58:00.000000000 +0100
@@ -377,4 +377,9 @@
 
 #define Upolyd (u.umonnum != u.umonster)
 
+#ifdef ELBERETH
+#define FAKEBONEDIFF (sizeof(long)*7+sizeof(time_t)*2)
+#else
+#define FAKEBONEDIFF (sizeof(long)*6+sizeof(time_t)*2)
+#endif
 #endif	/* YOU_H */
diff -Nurd nethack-3.4.3-conducts/src/bones.c nethack-3.4.3-conbon/src/bones.c
--- nethack-3.4.3-conducts/src/bones.c	2005-01-08 02:29:48.000000000 +0100
+++ nethack-3.4.3-conbon/src/bones.c	2005-01-20 12:01:48.000000000 +0100
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@
 	     * this code would have to know the size of the version
 	     * information itself.
 	     */
-	    store_version(fd);
+	    store_version(fd,1);
 	    bwrite(fd, (genericptr_t) &c, sizeof c);
 	    bwrite(fd, (genericptr_t) bonesid, (unsigned) c);	/* DD.nnn */
 	    savefruitchn(fd, COUNT_SAVE);
@@ -360,12 +360,15 @@
 	}
 #endif /* MFLOPPY */
 
-	store_version(fd);
+	store_version(fd,1);
 	bwrite(fd, (genericptr_t) &c, sizeof c);
 	bwrite(fd, (genericptr_t) bonesid, (unsigned) c);	/* DD.nnn */
 	savefruitchn(fd, WRITE_SAVE | FREE_SAVE);
 	update_mlstmv();	/* update monsters for eventual restoration */
 	savelev(fd, ledger_no(&u.uz), WRITE_SAVE | FREE_SAVE);
+	Sprintf(whynot, "VERSION_SANITY2 off by %d (fake signature)", FAKEBONEDIFF);
+	bwrite(fd, (genericptr_t) whynot, strlen(whynot));
+	/* Earmark the bones so Hearse can purge them if something goes wrong. */
 	bclose(fd);
 	commit_bonesfile(&u.uz);
 	compress_bonesfile();
@@ -391,7 +394,7 @@
 	fd = open_bonesfile(&u.uz, &bonesid);
 	if (fd < 0) return(0);
 
-	if ((ok = uptodate(fd, bones)) == 0) {
+	if ((ok = uptodate(fd, bones, 1)) == 0) {
 #ifdef WIZARD
 	    if (!wizard)
 #endif
diff -Nurd nethack-3.4.3-conducts/src/dungeon.c nethack-3.4.3-conbon/src/dungeon.c
--- nethack-3.4.3-conducts/src/dungeon.c	2005-01-08 02:29:48.000000000 +0100
+++ nethack-3.4.3-conbon/src/dungeon.c	2005-01-20 08:58:00.000000000 +0100
@@ -684,7 +684,7 @@
 	 * mix with the raw messages that might be already on the screen
 	 */
 	if (iflags.window_inited) clear_nhwindow(WIN_MAP);
-	if (!check_version(&vers_info, DUNGEON_FILE, TRUE))
+	if (!check_version(&vers_info, DUNGEON_FILE, TRUE, 0))
 	    panic("Dungeon description not valid.");
 
 	/*
diff -Nurd nethack-3.4.3-conducts/src/files.c nethack-3.4.3-conbon/src/files.c
--- nethack-3.4.3-conducts/src/files.c	2005-01-08 02:29:48.000000000 +0100
+++ nethack-3.4.3-conbon/src/files.c	2005-01-20 08:58:00.000000000 +0100
@@ -931,7 +931,7 @@
 	uncompress(fq_save);
 	if ((fd = open_savefile()) < 0) return fd;
 
-	if (!uptodate(fd, fq_save)) {
+	if (!uptodate(fd, fq_save, 0)) {
 	    (void) close(fd),  fd = -1;
 	    (void) delete_savefile();
 	}
@@ -954,7 +954,7 @@
 #endif
     uncompress(SAVEF);
     if ((fd = open_savefile()) >= 0) {
-	if (uptodate(fd, filename)) {
+	if (uptodate(fd, filename, 0)) {
 	    char tplname[PL_NSIZ];
 	    mread(fd, (genericptr_t) tplname, PL_NSIZ);
 	    result = strdup(tplname);
diff -Nurd nethack-3.4.3-conducts/src/restore.c nethack-3.4.3-conbon/src/restore.c
--- nethack-3.4.3-conducts/src/restore.c	2005-01-08 02:29:49.000000000 +0100
+++ nethack-3.4.3-conbon/src/restore.c	2005-01-20 08:58:00.000000000 +0100
@@ -523,7 +523,7 @@
 			playwoRAMdisk();
 			/* Rewind save file and try again */
 			(void) lseek(fd, (off_t)0, 0);
-			(void) uptodate(fd, (char *)0);	/* skip version */
+			(void) uptodate(fd, (char *)0, 0);	/* skip version */
 			return dorecover(fd);	/* 0 or 1 */
 		} else {
 # endif
@@ -631,7 +631,7 @@
 #else
 	(void) lseek(fd, (off_t)0, 0);
 #endif
-	(void) uptodate(fd, (char *)0);		/* skip version info */
+	(void) uptodate(fd, (char *)0, 0);		/* skip version info */
 #ifdef STORE_PLNAME_IN_FILE
 	mread(fd, (genericptr_t) plname, PL_NSIZ);
 #endif
diff -Nurd nethack-3.4.3-conducts/src/save.c nethack-3.4.3-conbon/src/save.c
--- nethack-3.4.3-conducts/src/save.c	2005-01-08 02:29:49.000000000 +0100
+++ nethack-3.4.3-conbon/src/save.c	2005-01-20 08:58:00.000000000 +0100
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@
 	}
 #endif /* MFLOPPY */
 
-	store_version(fd);
+	store_version(fd,0);
 #ifdef STORE_PLNAME_IN_FILE
 	bwrite(fd, (genericptr_t) plname, PL_NSIZ);
 #endif
@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@
 
 		    (void) write(fd, (genericptr_t) &currlev, sizeof(currlev));
 		    save_savefile_name(fd);
-		    store_version(fd);
+		    store_version(fd,0);
 #ifdef STORE_PLNAME_IN_FILE
 		    bwrite(fd, (genericptr_t) plname, PL_NSIZ);
 #endif
diff -Nurd nethack-3.4.3-conducts/src/sp_lev.c nethack-3.4.3-conbon/src/sp_lev.c
--- nethack-3.4.3-conducts/src/sp_lev.c	2005-01-08 02:29:49.000000000 +0100
+++ nethack-3.4.3-conbon/src/sp_lev.c	2005-01-20 08:58:00.000000000 +0100
@@ -2640,7 +2640,7 @@
 	if (!fd) return FALSE;
 
 	Fread((genericptr_t) &vers_info, sizeof vers_info, 1, fd);
-	if (!check_version(&vers_info, name, TRUE))
+	if (!check_version(&vers_info, name, TRUE, 0))
 	    goto give_up;
 
 	Fread((genericptr_t) &c, sizeof c, 1, fd); /* c Header */
diff -Nurd nethack-3.4.3-conducts/src/version.c nethack-3.4.3-conbon/src/version.c
--- nethack-3.4.3-conducts/src/version.c	2005-01-08 02:29:49.000000000 +0100
+++ nethack-3.4.3-conbon/src/version.c	2005-01-20 08:58:00.000000000 +0100
@@ -65,10 +65,11 @@
 #endif
 
 boolean
-check_version(version_data, filename, complain)
+check_version(version_data, filename, complain, bone)
 struct version_info *version_data;
 const char *filename;
 boolean complain;
+boolean bone;
 {
 	if (
 #ifdef VERSION_COMPATIBILITY
@@ -89,7 +90,8 @@
 			  (VERSION_FEATURES & ~IGNORED_FEATURES) ||
 #endif
 		   version_data->entity_count != VERSION_SANITY1 ||
-		   version_data->struct_sizes != VERSION_SANITY2) {
+		   (version_data->struct_sizes^VERSION_SANITY2)&(-1<<(bone?10:0)))
+		   /* 1KB: size of "struct you" is irrelevant for bones */ {
 	    if (complain)
 		pline("Configuration incompatibility for file \"%s\".",
 		      filename);
@@ -101,7 +103,7 @@
 /* this used to be based on file date and somewhat OS-dependant,
    but now examines the initial part of the file's contents */
 boolean
-uptodate(fd, name)
+uptodate(fd, name, bones)
 int fd;
 const char *name;
 {
@@ -118,7 +120,7 @@
 	}
 	return FALSE;
     }
-    if (!check_version(&vers_info, name, verbose)) {
+    if (!check_version(&vers_info, name, verbose, bones)) {
 	if (verbose) wait_synch();
 	return FALSE;
     }
@@ -126,17 +128,23 @@
 }
 
 void
-store_version(fd)
+store_version(fd, bone)
 int fd;
+int bone;
 {
-	const static struct version_info version_data = {
+	const static struct version_info version_data_real = {
 			VERSION_NUMBER, VERSION_FEATURES,
 			VERSION_SANITY1, VERSION_SANITY2
 	};
+	const static struct version_info version_data_fake = {
+			VERSION_NUMBER, VERSION_FEATURES,
+			VERSION_SANITY1, VERSION_SANITY2-FAKEBONEDIFF
+	};
 
 	bufoff(fd);
 	/* bwrite() before bufon() uses plain write() */
-	bwrite(fd,(genericptr_t)&version_data,(unsigned)(sizeof version_data));
+	bwrite(fd,(genericptr_t)&(bone?version_data_fake:version_data_real),
+		(unsigned)(sizeof version_data_real));
 	bufon(fd);
 	return;
 }