diff --git a/bgpd/bgp_attr.c b/bgpd/bgp_attr.c
index b62a4f8..69ca786 100644
--- a/bgpd/bgp_attr.c
+++ b/bgpd/bgp_attr.c
@@ -1282,7 +1282,17 @@
   int ignore_as4_path = 0;
   struct aspath *newpath;
   struct attr_extra *attre = attr->extra;
-    
+  
+  if (!attr->aspath)
+    {
+      /* NULL aspath shouldn't be possible as bgp_attr_parse should have
+       * checked that all well-known, mandatory attributes were present.
+       * 
+       * Can only be a problem with peer itself - hard error
+       */
+      return BGP_ATTR_PARSE_ERROR;
+    }
+  
   if (CHECK_FLAG (peer->cap, PEER_CAP_AS4_RCV))
     {
       /* peer can do AS4, so we ignore AS4_PATH and AS4_AGGREGATOR
@@ -1362,12 +1372,9 @@
   /* need to reconcile NEW_AS_PATH and AS_PATH */
   if (!ignore_as4_path && (attr->flag & (ATTR_FLAG_BIT( BGP_ATTR_AS4_PATH))))
     {
-       if (!attr->aspath)
-         return BGP_ATTR_PARSE_PROCEED;
-
-       newpath = aspath_reconcile_as4 (attr->aspath, as4_path);
-       aspath_unintern (&attr->aspath);
-       attr->aspath = aspath_intern (newpath);
+      newpath = aspath_reconcile_as4 (attr->aspath, as4_path);
+      aspath_unintern (&attr->aspath);
+      attr->aspath = aspath_intern (newpath);
     }
   return BGP_ATTR_PARSE_PROCEED;
 }
@@ -1726,6 +1733,39 @@
   return BGP_ATTR_PARSE_PROCEED;
 }
 
+/* Well-known attribute check. */
+static int
+bgp_attr_check (struct peer *peer, struct attr *attr)
+{
+  u_char type = 0;
+  
+  if (! CHECK_FLAG (attr->flag, ATTR_FLAG_BIT (BGP_ATTR_ORIGIN)))
+    type = BGP_ATTR_ORIGIN;
+
+  if (! CHECK_FLAG (attr->flag, ATTR_FLAG_BIT (BGP_ATTR_AS_PATH)))
+    type = BGP_ATTR_AS_PATH;
+
+  if (! CHECK_FLAG (attr->flag, ATTR_FLAG_BIT (BGP_ATTR_NEXT_HOP)))
+    type = BGP_ATTR_NEXT_HOP;
+
+  if (peer->sort == BGP_PEER_IBGP
+      && ! CHECK_FLAG (attr->flag, ATTR_FLAG_BIT (BGP_ATTR_LOCAL_PREF)))
+    type = BGP_ATTR_LOCAL_PREF;
+
+  if (type)
+    {
+      zlog (peer->log, LOG_WARNING, 
+	    "%s Missing well-known attribute %d.",
+	    peer->host, type);
+      bgp_notify_send_with_data (peer, 
+				 BGP_NOTIFY_UPDATE_ERR, 
+				 BGP_NOTIFY_UPDATE_MISS_ATTR,
+				 &type, 1);
+      return BGP_ATTR_PARSE_ERROR;
+    }
+  return BGP_ATTR_PARSE_PROCEED;
+}
+
 /* Read attribute of update packet.  This function is called from
    bgp_update_receive() in bgp_packet.c.  */
 bgp_attr_parse_ret_t
@@ -1958,7 +1998,6 @@
 	  return BGP_ATTR_PARSE_ERROR;
 	}
     }
-
   /* Check final read pointer is same as end pointer. */
   if (BGP_INPUT_PNT (peer) != endp)
     {
@@ -1972,7 +2011,18 @@
         aspath_unintern (&as4_path);
       return BGP_ATTR_PARSE_ERROR;
     }
-
+  
+  /* Check all mandatory well-known attributes are present */
+  {
+    bgp_attr_parse_ret_t ret;
+    if ((ret = bgp_attr_check (peer, attr)) < 0)
+      {
+        if (as4_path)
+          aspath_unintern (&as4_path);
+        return ret;
+      }
+  }
+  
   /* 
    * At this place we can see whether we got AS4_PATH and/or
    * AS4_AGGREGATOR from a 16Bit peer and act accordingly.
@@ -2033,39 +2083,6 @@
   return BGP_ATTR_PARSE_PROCEED;
 }
 
-/* Well-known attribute check. */
-int
-bgp_attr_check (struct peer *peer, struct attr *attr)
-{
-  u_char type = 0;
-  
-  if (! CHECK_FLAG (attr->flag, ATTR_FLAG_BIT (BGP_ATTR_ORIGIN)))
-    type = BGP_ATTR_ORIGIN;
-
-  if (! CHECK_FLAG (attr->flag, ATTR_FLAG_BIT (BGP_ATTR_AS_PATH)))
-    type = BGP_ATTR_AS_PATH;
-
-  if (! CHECK_FLAG (attr->flag, ATTR_FLAG_BIT (BGP_ATTR_NEXT_HOP)))
-    type = BGP_ATTR_NEXT_HOP;
-
-  if (peer->sort == BGP_PEER_IBGP
-      && ! CHECK_FLAG (attr->flag, ATTR_FLAG_BIT (BGP_ATTR_LOCAL_PREF)))
-    type = BGP_ATTR_LOCAL_PREF;
-
-  if (type)
-    {
-      zlog (peer->log, LOG_WARNING, 
-	    "%s Missing well-known attribute %d.",
-	    peer->host, type);
-      bgp_notify_send_with_data (peer, 
-				 BGP_NOTIFY_UPDATE_ERR, 
-				 BGP_NOTIFY_UPDATE_MISS_ATTR,
-				 &type, 1);
-      return BGP_ATTR_PARSE_ERROR;
-    }
-  return BGP_ATTR_PARSE_PROCEED;
-}
-
 int stream_put_prefix (struct stream *, struct prefix *);
 
 size_t
diff --git a/bgpd/bgp_attr.h b/bgpd/bgp_attr.h
index cb401e7..b59fa8e 100644
--- a/bgpd/bgp_attr.h
+++ b/bgpd/bgp_attr.h
@@ -147,7 +147,6 @@
 extern bgp_attr_parse_ret_t bgp_attr_parse (struct peer *, struct attr *,
                                            bgp_size_t, struct bgp_nlri *,
                                            struct bgp_nlri *);
-extern int bgp_attr_check (struct peer *, struct attr *);
 extern struct attr_extra *bgp_attr_extra_get (struct attr *);
 extern void bgp_attr_extra_free (struct attr *);
 extern void bgp_attr_dup (struct attr *, struct attr *);
diff --git a/bgpd/bgp_packet.c b/bgpd/bgp_packet.c
index 0fab1b0..35a22c1 100644
--- a/bgpd/bgp_packet.c
+++ b/bgpd/bgp_packet.c
@@ -1775,18 +1775,7 @@
 	bgp_nlri_parse (peer, NULL, &withdraw);
 
       if (update.length)
-	{
-	  /* We check well-known attribute only for IPv4 unicast
-	     update. */
-	  ret = bgp_attr_check (peer, &attr);
-	  if (ret < 0)
-	    {
-	      bgp_attr_unintern_sub (&attr);
-	      return -1;
-            }
-
 	  bgp_nlri_parse (peer, NLRI_ATTR_ARG, &update);
-	}
 
       if (mp_update.length
 	  && mp_update.afi == AFI_IP