diff --git a/kadmin/util.c b/kadmin/util.c
index 201abc452..8561693f2 100644
--- a/kadmin/util.c
+++ b/kadmin/util.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 1997 - 2000 Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan
+ * Copyright (c) 1997 - 2001 Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan
  * (Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden). 
  * All rights reserved. 
  *
@@ -103,9 +103,7 @@ parse_attributes (const char *resp, krb5_flags *attr, int *mask, int bit)
 {
     krb5_flags tmp = *attr;
 
-    if (resp[0] == '\0')
-	return 0;
-    else if (str2attributes(resp, &tmp) == 0) {
+    if (str2attributes(resp, &tmp) == 0) {
 	*attr = tmp;
 	if (mask)
 	    *mask |= bit;
@@ -133,6 +131,8 @@ edit_attributes (const char *prompt, krb5_flags *attr, int *mask, int bit)
     attributes2str(*attr, buf, sizeof(buf));
     for (;;) {
 	get_response("Attributes", buf, resp, sizeof(resp));
+	if (resp[0] == '\0')
+	    break;
 	if (parse_attributes (resp, attr, mask, bit) == 0)
 	    break;
     }
@@ -342,27 +342,37 @@ int
 edit_entry(kadm5_principal_ent_t ent, int *mask,
 	   kadm5_principal_ent_t default_ent, int default_mask)
 {
-    if (default_ent && (default_mask & KADM5_MAX_LIFE))
+    if (default_ent
+	&& (default_mask & KADM5_MAX_LIFE)
+	&& !(*mask & KADM5_MAX_LIFE))
 	ent->max_life = default_ent->max_life;
     edit_deltat ("Max ticket life", &ent->max_life, mask,
 		 KADM5_MAX_LIFE);
 
-    if (default_ent && (default_mask & KADM5_MAX_RLIFE))
+    if (default_ent
+	&& (default_mask & KADM5_MAX_RLIFE)
+	&& !(*mask & KADM5_MAX_RLIFE))
 	ent->max_renewable_life = default_ent->max_renewable_life;
     edit_deltat ("Max renewable life", &ent->max_renewable_life, mask,
 		 KADM5_MAX_RLIFE);
 
-    if (default_ent && (default_mask & KADM5_PRINC_EXPIRE_TIME))
+    if (default_ent
+	&& (default_mask & KADM5_PRINC_EXPIRE_TIME)
+	&& !(*mask & KADM5_PRINC_EXPIRE_TIME))
 	ent->princ_expire_time = default_ent->princ_expire_time;
     edit_timet ("Principal expiration time", &ent->princ_expire_time, mask,
 	       KADM5_PRINC_EXPIRE_TIME);
 
-    if (default_ent && (default_mask & KADM5_PW_EXPIRATION))
+    if (default_ent
+	&& (default_mask & KADM5_PW_EXPIRATION)
+	&& !(*mask & KADM5_PW_EXPIRATION))
 	ent->pw_expiration = default_ent->pw_expiration;
     edit_timet ("Password expiration time", &ent->pw_expiration, mask,
 	       KADM5_PW_EXPIRATION);
 
-    if (default_ent && (default_mask & KADM5_ATTRIBUTES))
+    if (default_ent
+	&& (default_mask & KADM5_ATTRIBUTES)
+	&& !(*mask & KADM5_ATTRIBUTES))
 	ent->attributes = default_ent->attributes & ~KRB5_KDB_DISALLOW_ALL_TIX;
     edit_attributes ("Attributes", &ent->attributes, mask,
 		     KADM5_ATTRIBUTES);