diff --git a/src/ChangeLog b/src/ChangeLog
index 69c8f22e700..6c39715fed3 100644
--- a/src/ChangeLog
+++ b/src/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2009-12-15  Chong Yidong  <cyd@stupidchicken.com>
+
+	* xdisp.c (decode_mode_spec): Inhibit garbage collection when
+	calling file-remote-p.  Reported by Jim Meyering.
+
 2009-12-15  Michael Albinus  <michael.albinus@gmx.de>
 
 	* dbusbind.c (xd_retrieve_arg): Reorder declarations in order to
diff --git a/src/xdisp.c b/src/xdisp.c
index 449d42dcf17..23c5e2d0f4c 100644
--- a/src/xdisp.c
+++ b/src/xdisp.c
@@ -18630,7 +18630,10 @@ decode_mode_spec (w, c, field_width, precision, multibyte)
     case '@':
       {
 	Lisp_Object val;
+	int count = inhibit_garbage_collection ();
 	val = call1 (intern ("file-remote-p"), current_buffer->directory);
+	unbind_to (count, Qnil);
+
 	if (NILP (val))
 	  return "-";
 	else