diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 71e20eb6c..66562d12f 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -16,8 +16,12 @@ ver 0.18 (2012/??/??)
 
 
 ver 0.17.4 (2013/??/??)
+* protocol:
+  - allow to omit END in ranges (START:END)
 * decoder:
   - ffmpeg: support float planar audio (ffmpeg 1.1)
+* player:
+  - implement missing "idle" events on output errors
 
 ver 0.17.3 (2013/01/06)
 * output:
diff --git a/src/PlayerThread.cxx b/src/PlayerThread.cxx
index ac2cb84bd..599df833d 100644
--- a/src/PlayerThread.cxx
+++ b/src/PlayerThread.cxx
@@ -350,6 +350,8 @@ player_open_output(struct player *player)
 		pc->state = PLAYER_STATE_PAUSE;
 		pc->Unlock();
 
+		idle_add(IDLE_PLAYER);
+
 		return false;
 	}
 }
@@ -834,6 +836,8 @@ play_next_chunk(struct player *player)
 
 		pc->Unlock();
 
+		idle_add(IDLE_PLAYER);
+
 		return false;
 	}
 
@@ -879,13 +883,17 @@ player_song_border(struct player *player)
 	struct player_control *const pc = player->pc;
 	pc->Lock();
 
-	if (pc->border_pause) {
+	const bool border_pause = pc->border_pause;
+	if (border_pause) {
 		player->paused = true;
 		pc->state = PLAYER_STATE_PAUSE;
 	}
 
 	pc->Unlock();
 
+	if (border_pause)
+		idle_add(IDLE_PLAYER);
+
 	return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/protocol/ArgParser.cxx b/src/protocol/ArgParser.cxx
index 0ab19f7d4..6bd53a358 100644
--- a/src/protocol/ArgParser.cxx
+++ b/src/protocol/ArgParser.cxx
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ check_range(Client *client, unsigned *value_r1, unsigned *value_r2,
 
 	if (*test == ':') {
 		value = strtol(++test, &test2, 10);
-		if (test2 == test || *test2 != '\0') {
+		if (*test2 != '\0') {
 			command_error(client, ACK_ERROR_ARG,
 				      "Integer or range expected: %s", s);
 			return false;