diff --git a/include/strutils.h b/include/strutils.h
index 9eb9c8127..ec2a8acd6 100644
--- a/include/strutils.h
+++ b/include/strutils.h
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <ctype.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
 
 /* default strtoxx_or_err() exit code */
 #ifndef STRTOXX_EXIT_CODE
@@ -207,4 +208,6 @@ extern char *strnappend(const char *s, const char *suffix, size_t b);
 extern char *strappend(const char *s, const char *suffix);
 extern const char *split(const char **state, size_t *l, const char *separator, int quoted);
 
+extern int skip_fline(FILE *fp);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/lib/strutils.c b/lib/strutils.c
index cc90e043d..ebfc5110b 100644
--- a/lib/strutils.c
+++ b/lib/strutils.c
@@ -859,6 +859,18 @@ const char *split(const char **state, size_t *l, const char *separator, int quot
         return current;
 }
 
+/* Rewind file pointer forward to new line.  */
+int skip_fline(FILE *fp)
+{
+	char ch;
+
+	do {
+		if ((ch = fgetc(fp)) == EOF)
+			return 1;
+		if (ch == '\n')
+			return 0;
+	} while (1);
+}
 
 #ifdef TEST_PROGRAM
 
diff --git a/sys-utils/rtcwake.c b/sys-utils/rtcwake.c
index 3c8238d27..6d67fc26a 100644
--- a/sys-utils/rtcwake.c
+++ b/sys-utils/rtcwake.c
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
 #define	RTC_AF	0x20
 #define	RTC_UF	0x10
 
-#define MAX_LINE		1024
+#define ADJTIME_ZONE_STRLEN	8
 
 #define RTC_PATH		"/sys/class/rtc/%s/device/power/wakeup"
 #define SYS_POWER_STATE_PATH	"/sys/power/state"
@@ -294,30 +294,23 @@ static void suspend_system(struct rtcwake_control *ctl, int suspend)
 		errx(EXIT_FAILURE, _("write error"));
 }
 
-
 static int read_clock_mode(struct rtcwake_control *ctl)
 {
 	FILE *fp;
-	char linebuf[MAX_LINE];
+	char linebuf[ADJTIME_ZONE_STRLEN];
 
 	fp = fopen(ctl->adjfile, "r");
 	if (!fp)
 		return -1;
 
-	/* skip first line */
-	if (!fgets(linebuf, MAX_LINE, fp)) {
-		fclose(fp);
-		return -1;
-	}
-
-	/* skip second line */
-	if (!fgets(linebuf, MAX_LINE, fp)) {
+	/* skip two lines */
+	if (skip_fline(fp) || skip_fline(fp)) {
 		fclose(fp);
 		return -1;
 	}
 
 	/* read third line */
-	if (!fgets(linebuf, MAX_LINE, fp)) {
+	if (!fgets(linebuf, sizeof linebuf, fp)) {
 		fclose(fp);
 		return -1;
 	}
@@ -326,6 +319,8 @@ static int read_clock_mode(struct rtcwake_control *ctl)
 		ctl->clock_mode = CM_UTC;
 	else if (strncmp(linebuf, "LOCAL", 5) == 0)
 		ctl->clock_mode = CM_LOCAL;
+	else if (ctl->verbose)
+		warnx(_("unexpected third line in: %s: %s"), ctl->adjfile, linebuf);
 
 	fclose(fp);