diff --git a/utils/shapefile/shapefile_reader.py b/utils/shapefile/shapefile_reader.py
index 27f74875b..1519c670b 100755
--- a/utils/shapefile/shapefile_reader.py
+++ b/utils/shapefile/shapefile_reader.py
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ def test_record(_type, record) :
         print "NULL shape"
     elif _type == 11: #PointZ
         test_pointz(record)
+    elif _type == 5:
+        test_polygon(record)
 
 def test_pointz(record):
     if len(record) != 36 :
@@ -35,6 +37,17 @@ def test_pointz(record):
         print>>sys.stderr,"BAD SHAPE FILE: expected PointZ or NullShape got",_type
         sys.exit(1)
 
+def test_polygon(record):
+    _type, x0, y0, x1, y0, num_parts, num_points = struct.unpack("<iddddii", record[0:44])
+    if _type != 5:
+        print>>sys.stderr, "BAD SHAPE FILE: expected Polygon or NullShape got", _type
+        sys.exit(1)
+    length = len(record)
+    rec_length = 44 + num_parts * 4 + num_points * 16
+    if rec_length <> length:
+        print>>sys.stderr, "BAD SHAPE FILE: expected", rec_length, "got", length
+        sys.exit(1)
+
 if __name__ == "__main__" :
 
     if len(sys.argv) !=2:
@@ -52,10 +65,17 @@ if __name__ == "__main__" :
     _,_,_,_,_,_,shx_file_length = header[0].unpack_from(shx.read(28))
     _,_,lox,loy,hix,hiy,_,_,_,_ = header[1].unpack_from(shx.read(72))
 
+    shx_bbox = [lox,loy,hix,hiy]
+
     # SHP header
     _,_,_,_,_,_,shp_file_length = header[0].unpack_from(shp.read(28))
     version,_type,lox,loy,hix,hiy,_,_,_,_ = header[1].unpack_from(shp.read(72))
 
+    shp_bbox = [lox,loy,hix,hiy]
+    if shx_bbox <> shp_bbox :
+        print "BAD SHAPE FILE: bounding box mismatch in *.shp and *.shx", shp_bbox, shx_bbox
+        sys.exit(1)
+
     print "SHX FILE_LENGTH=",shx_file_length,"bytes"
     print "SHP FILE_LENGTH=",shp_file_length,"bytes"
 
@@ -66,10 +86,9 @@ if __name__ == "__main__" :
     calc_total_size = 50
     count = 0
     while shx.tell() < shx_file_length * 2 :
-        offset,shx_content_length =  record.unpack_from(shx.read(8))
+        offset,shx_content_length = record.unpack_from(shx.read(8))
         shp.seek(offset*2, os.SEEK_SET)
         record_number,content_length = record_header.unpack_from(shp.read(8))
-
         if shx_content_length <> content_length:
             print "BAD SHAPE FILE: content_lenght mismatch in SHP and SHX",shx_content_length,content_length
             sys.exit(1)