diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index fa95c0c..a06346c 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ CHANGES
 
 HEAD
 ------------------
+- fixed controller count when creating NULL-PLCI interface.
+- simplified check for unused controller.
 
 
 chan_capi-1.1.0
diff --git a/chan_capi.c b/chan_capi.c
index 95cbb39..50ea6af 100644
--- a/chan_capi.c
+++ b/chan_capi.c
@@ -144,7 +144,6 @@ struct capi_pvt *capi_iflist = NULL;
 static struct cc_capi_controller *capi_controllers[CAPI_MAX_CONTROLLERS + 1];
 static int capi_num_controllers = 0;
 static unsigned int capi_counter = 0;
-static unsigned long capi_used_controllers = 0;
 
 static struct ast_channel *chan_for_task;
 static int channel_task;
@@ -5222,19 +5221,21 @@ int mkif(struct cc_capi_conf *conf)
 				unit = capi_num_controllers;
 			}
 
-		if (unit > capi_num_controllers){
+		/* always range check user input */
+		if (unit > CAPI_MAX_CONTROLLERS)
+			unit = CAPI_MAX_CONTROLLERS;
+
+		if ((unit > capi_num_controllers) ||
+		    (!(capi_controllers[unit]))) {
 			free(tmp);
 			cc_verbose(2, 0, VERBOSE_PREFIX_3 "controller %d invalid, ignoring interface.\n",
 				unit);
 			return 0;
 		}
 
-		/* always range check user input */
-		if (unit > CAPI_MAX_CONTROLLERS)
-			unit = CAPI_MAX_CONTROLLERS;
+		capi_controllers[unit]->used = 1;
 
 		tmp->controller = unit;
-		capi_used_controllers |= (1 << unit);
 		tmp->doEC = conf->echocancel;
 		tmp->doEC_global = conf->echocancel;
 		tmp->ecOption = conf->ecoption;
@@ -5590,9 +5591,10 @@ static int pbxcli_capi_info(int fd, int argc, char *argv[])
 		
 	for (i = 1; i <= capi_num_controllers; i++) {
 		if (capi_controllers[i] != NULL) {
-			ast_cli(fd, "Contr%d: %d B channels total, %d B channels free.\n",
+			ast_cli(fd, "Contr%d: %d B channels total, %d B channels free.%s\n",
 				i, capi_controllers[i]->nbchannels,
-				capi_controllers[i]->nfreebchannels);
+				capi_controllers[i]->nfreebchannels,
+				(capi_controllers[i]->used) ? "":" (unused)");
 		}
 	}
 #ifdef CC_AST_HAS_VERSION_1_6
@@ -5982,7 +5984,8 @@ static int cc_post_init_capi(void)
 		}
 	}
 	for (controller = 1; controller <= capi_num_controllers; controller++) {
-		if (capi_controllers[controller] != NULL) {
+		if ((capi_controllers[controller] != NULL) &&
+		    (capi_controllers[controller]->used)) {
 			needchannels += (capi_controllers[controller]->nbchannels + 1);
 		}
 	}
@@ -5990,7 +5993,7 @@ static int cc_post_init_capi(void)
 		return -1;
 
 	for (controller = 1; controller <= capi_num_controllers; controller++) {
-		if (capi_used_controllers & (1 << controller)) {
+		if (capi_controllers[controller]->used) {
 			if ((error = capi_ListenOnController(ALL_SERVICES, controller)) != 0) {
 				cc_log(LOG_ERROR,"Unable to listen on contr%d (error=0x%x)\n",
 					controller, error);
@@ -6322,11 +6325,9 @@ int unload_module(void)
 			cc_log(LOG_WARNING,"Unable to unregister from CAPI!\n");
 	}
 
-	for (controller = 1; controller <= capi_num_controllers; controller++) {
-		if (capi_used_controllers & (1 << controller)) {
-			if (capi_controllers[controller])
-				free(capi_controllers[controller]);
-		}
+	for (controller = 1; controller <= CAPI_MAX_CONTROLLERS; controller++) {
+		if (capi_controllers[controller])
+			free(capi_controllers[controller]);
 	}
 	
 	i = capi_iflist;
diff --git a/chan_capi.h b/chan_capi.h
index cf70715..49f52d7 100644
--- a/chan_capi.h
+++ b/chan_capi.h
@@ -517,6 +517,8 @@ struct cc_capi_conf {
 struct cc_capi_controller {
 	/* which controller is this? */
 	int controller;
+	/* is this controller used? */
+	int used;
 	/* how many bchans? */
 	int nbchannels;
 	/* free bchans */
diff --git a/chan_capi_chat.c b/chan_capi_chat.c
index a582bf6..e596e5d 100644
--- a/chan_capi_chat.c
+++ b/chan_capi_chat.c
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ int pbx_capi_chat(struct ast_channel *c, char *param)
 	char *p;
 	struct capichat_s *room;
 	ast_group_t tmpcntr;
-	unsigned long contr = 0;
+	unsigned long long contr = 0;
 	unsigned int flags = 0;
 
 	roomname = strsep(&param, "|");
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ int pbx_capi_chat(struct ast_channel *c, char *param)
 			if (*p == '|') *p = ',';
 		}
 		tmpcntr = ast_get_group(controller);
-		contr = (unsigned long)(tmpcntr >> 1);
+		contr = (unsigned long long)(tmpcntr >> 1);
 	}
 
 	while ((options) && (*options)) {
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ int pbx_capi_chat(struct ast_channel *c, char *param)
 	}
 
 	cc_verbose(3, 1, VERBOSE_PREFIX_3 CC_MESSAGE_NAME " chat: %s: roomname=%s "
-		"options=%s controller=%s (0x%x)\n",
+		"options=%s controller=%s (0x%llx)\n",
 		c->name, roomname, options, controller, contr);
 
 	if (c->tech == &capi_tech) {
diff --git a/chan_capi_utils.c b/chan_capi_utils.c
index a40fcb9..8a1eed1 100644
--- a/chan_capi_utils.c
+++ b/chan_capi_utils.c
@@ -129,17 +129,19 @@ void capi_remove_nullif(struct capi_pvt *i)
 /*
  * create new null-interface
  */
-struct capi_pvt *capi_mknullif(struct ast_channel *c, unsigned long controllermask)
+struct capi_pvt *capi_mknullif(struct ast_channel *c, unsigned long long controllermask)
 {
 	struct capi_pvt *tmp;
 	unsigned int controller = 1;
 	int contrcount;
 	int channelcount = 0xffff;
+	int maxcontr = (CAPI_MAX_CONTROLLERS > sizeof(controllermask)) ?
+		sizeof(controllermask) : CAPI_MAX_CONTROLLERS;
 
 	cc_verbose(3, 1, VERBOSE_PREFIX_4 "capi_mknullif: find controller for mask 0x%lx\n",
 		controllermask);
 	/* find the next controller of mask with least plcis used */	
-	for (contrcount = 0; contrcount < CAPI_MAX_CONTROLLERS; contrcount++) {
+	for (contrcount = 0; contrcount < maxcontr; contrcount++) {
 		if ((controllermask & (1 << contrcount))) {
 			if (controller_nullplcis[contrcount] < channelcount) {
 				channelcount = controller_nullplcis[contrcount];
diff --git a/chan_capi_utils.h b/chan_capi_utils.h
index d1ad169..a31f273 100644
--- a/chan_capi_utils.h
+++ b/chan_capi_utils.h
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ extern char *capi_number_func(unsigned char *data, unsigned int strip, char *buf
 extern int cc_add_peer_link_id(struct ast_channel *c);
 extern struct ast_channel *cc_get_peer_link_id(const char *p);
 extern void capi_remove_nullif(struct capi_pvt *i);
-extern struct capi_pvt *capi_mknullif(struct ast_channel *c, unsigned long controllermask);
+extern struct capi_pvt *capi_mknullif(struct ast_channel *c, unsigned long long controllermask);
 extern int capi_create_reader_writer_pipe(struct capi_pvt *i);
 extern struct ast_frame *capi_read_pipeframe(struct capi_pvt *i);
 extern int capi_write_frame(struct capi_pvt *i, struct ast_frame *f);