diff --git a/tinyxml2Toolkit.cpp b/tinyxml2Toolkit.cpp
index cb04a71..2ee88c4 100644
--- a/tinyxml2Toolkit.cpp
+++ b/tinyxml2Toolkit.cpp
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ void tinyxml2::XMLElementToGLM(XMLElement *elem, glm::mat4 &matrix)
 }
 
 
-XMLElement *tinyxml2::XMLElementEncodeArray(XMLDocument *doc, void *array, unsigned int arraysize)
+XMLElement *tinyxml2::XMLElementEncodeArray(XMLDocument *doc, const void *array, uint arraysize)
 {
     // create <array> node
     XMLElement *newelement = doc->NewElement( "array" );
@@ -157,63 +157,68 @@ XMLElement *tinyxml2::XMLElementEncodeArray(XMLDocument *doc, void *array, unsig
     return newelement;
 }
 
-bool tinyxml2::XMLElementDecodeArray(XMLElement *elem, void *array, unsigned int arraysize)
+bool tinyxml2::XMLElementDecodeArray(XMLElement *elem, void *array, uint arraysize)
 {
     bool ret = false;
 
+    // sanity check
+    if (array==nullptr || arraysize==0)
+        return ret;
+
     // make sure we have the good type of XML node
     if ( !elem || std::string(elem->Name()).compare("array") != 0 )
         return ret;
 
     // make sure the stored array is of the requested array size
-    unsigned int len = 0;
+    uint len = 0;
     elem->QueryUnsignedAttribute("len", &len);
-    if ( arraysize != len )
-        return ret;
+    if (len == arraysize)
+    {
+        // read and decode the text field in <array>
+        gsize   decoded_size = 0;
+        guchar *decoded_array = g_base64_decode(elem->GetText(), &decoded_size);
 
-    // read and decode the text field in <array>
-    gsize   decoded_size = 0;
-    guchar *decoded_array = g_base64_decode(elem->GetText(), &decoded_size);
+        // if data is z-compressed (zbytes size is indicated)
+        uint zbytes = 0;
+        elem->QueryUnsignedAttribute("zbytes", &zbytes);
+        if ( zbytes > 0) {
+            // sanity check 1: decoded data size must match the buffer size
+            if ( decoded_array && zbytes == (uint) decoded_size ) {
 
-    // if data is z-compressed (zbytes size is indicated)
-    uint zbytes = 0;
-    elem->QueryUnsignedAttribute("zbytes", &zbytes);
-    if ( zbytes > 0) {
-        // sanity check 1: decoded data size must match the buffer size
-        if ( decoded_array && zbytes == (uint) decoded_size ) {
+                // allocate a temporary array for decompressing data
+                uLong  uncompressed_size = len;
+                gchar *uncompressed_array = g_new(gchar, uncompressed_size);
 
-            // allocate a temporary array for decompressing data
-            uLong  uncompressed_size = arraysize;
-            gchar *uncompressed_array = g_new(gchar, uncompressed_size);
+                // zlib uncompress ((Bytef *dest, uLongf *destLen, const Bytef *source, uLong sourceLen));
+                uncompress((Bytef *)uncompressed_array, &uncompressed_size,
+                           (Bytef *)decoded_array, (uLong) zbytes) ;
 
-            // zlib uncompress ((Bytef *dest, uLongf *destLen, const Bytef *source, uLong sourceLen));
-            uncompress((Bytef *)uncompressed_array, &uncompressed_size,
-                       (Bytef *)decoded_array, (uLong) zbytes) ;
-
-            // sanity check 2: decompressed data size must match array size
-            if ( uncompressed_array && arraysize == uncompressed_size ){
+                // sanity check 2: decompressed data size must match array size
+                if ( uncompressed_array && len == uncompressed_size ){
+                    // copy to target array
+                    memcpy(array, uncompressed_array, len);
+                    // success
+                    ret = true;
+                }
 
+                // free temp decompression buffer
+                g_free(uncompressed_array);
+            }
+        }
+        // data is not z-compressed
+        else {
+            // copy the decoded data
+            if ( decoded_array && len == decoded_size ) {
                 // copy to target array
-                memcpy(array, uncompressed_array, arraysize);
+                memcpy(array, decoded_array, len);
                 // success
                 ret = true;
             }
-
-            // free temp decompression buffer
-            g_free(uncompressed_array);
         }
-    }
-    // data is not z-compressed
-    else {
-        // copy the decoded data
-        if ( decoded_array && arraysize == decoded_size )
-            memcpy(array, decoded_array, arraysize);
-        // success
-        ret = true;
-    }
 
-    // free temporary array
-    g_free(decoded_array);
+        // free temporary array
+        g_free(decoded_array);
+    }
 
     return ret;
 }
diff --git a/tinyxml2Toolkit.h b/tinyxml2Toolkit.h
index 56eca21..bc67424 100644
--- a/tinyxml2Toolkit.h
+++ b/tinyxml2Toolkit.h
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@ void XMLElementToGLM(XMLElement *elem, glm::vec3 &vector);
 void XMLElementToGLM(XMLElement *elem, glm::vec4 &vector);
 void XMLElementToGLM(XMLElement *elem, glm::mat4 &matrix);
 
-XMLElement *XMLElementEncodeArray(XMLDocument *doc, void *array, unsigned int arraysize);
-bool XMLElementDecodeArray(XMLElement *elem, void *array, unsigned int arraysize);
+XMLElement *XMLElementEncodeArray(XMLDocument *doc, const void *array, uint arraysize);
+bool XMLElementDecodeArray(XMLElement *elem, void *array, uint arraysize);
 
 bool XMLSaveDoc(tinyxml2::XMLDocument * const doc, std::string filename);
 bool XMLResultError(int result);