diff -urp -x '*.o' -x '*.txt' -x '*.so' postgresql-8.4.1-orig/src/backend/utils/adt/varbit.c postgresql-8.4.1/src/backend/utils/adt/varbit.c
--- postgresql-8.4.1-orig/src/backend/utils/adt/varbit.c	2009-12-12 09:19:13.000000000 -0600
+++ postgresql-8.4.1/src/backend/utils/adt/varbit.c	2009-12-12 10:29:59.000000000 -0600
@@ -1321,8 +1321,8 @@ bitfromint4(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 	VarBit	   *result;
 	bits8	   *r;
 	int			rlen;
-	int			destbitsleft,
-				srcbitsleft;
+	int const	srcbits=sizeof(a)*BITS_PER_BYTE;
+	int i;
 
 	if (typmod <= 0)
 		typmod = 1;				/* default bit length */
@@ -1333,32 +1333,21 @@ bitfromint4(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 	VARBITLEN(result) = typmod;
 
 	r = VARBITS(result);
-	destbitsleft = typmod;
-	srcbitsleft = 32;
-	/* drop any input bits that don't fit */
-	srcbitsleft = Min(srcbitsleft, destbitsleft);
-	/* sign-fill any excess bytes in output */
-	while (destbitsleft >= srcbitsleft + 8)
-	{
-		*r++ = (bits8) ((a < 0) ? BITMASK : 0);
-		destbitsleft -= 8;
-	}
-	/* store first fractional byte */
-	if (destbitsleft > srcbitsleft)
-	{
-		*r++ = (bits8) ((a >> (srcbitsleft - 8)) & BITMASK);
-		destbitsleft -= 8;
-	}
-	/* Now srcbitsleft and destbitsleft are the same, need not track both */
-	/* store whole bytes */
-	while (destbitsleft >= 8)
-	{
-		*r++ = (bits8) ((a >> (destbitsleft - 8)) & BITMASK);
-		destbitsleft -= 8;
+	rlen=(typmod+BITS_PER_BYTE-1)/BITS_PER_BYTE;
+
+	if (srcbits>=typmod) {
+		a<<=srcbits-typmod;
+        for (i=0; i!=rlen; ++i, a<<=BITS_PER_BYTE) r[i]=a>>(srcbits-BITS_PER_BYTE);
+	} else {
+		int sh=typmod%BITS_PER_BYTE;
+		int32 h=a>>sh;
+		int32 l=a<<(srcbits-sh);
+		size_t const zsize=rlen-sizeof(a)-(sh!=0);
+		bits8 sx=(a>=0)-1;
+		memset(r,sx,zsize);
+        for (i=0; i!=sizeof(a); ++i, h<<=8) r[zsize+i]=h>>(srcbits-BITS_PER_BYTE);
+		if (sh!=0) r[zsize+sizeof(a)]=l>>(srcbits-BITS_PER_BYTE);
 	}
-	/* store last fractional byte */
-	if (destbitsleft > 0)
-		*r = (bits8) ((a << (8 - destbitsleft)) & BITMASK);
 
 	PG_RETURN_VARBIT_P(result);
 }
@@ -1396,8 +1385,8 @@ bitfromint8(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 	VarBit	   *result;
 	bits8	   *r;
 	int			rlen;
-	int			destbitsleft,
-				srcbitsleft;
+	int const	srcbits=sizeof(a)*BITS_PER_BYTE;
+	int			i;
 
 	if (typmod <= 0)
 		typmod = 1;				/* default bit length */
@@ -1408,36 +1397,21 @@ bitfromint8(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 	VARBITLEN(result) = typmod;
 
 	r = VARBITS(result);
-	destbitsleft = typmod;
-#ifndef INT64_IS_BUSTED
-	srcbitsleft = 64;
-#else
-	srcbitsleft = 32;			/* don't try to shift more than 32 */
-#endif
-	/* drop any input bits that don't fit */
-	srcbitsleft = Min(srcbitsleft, destbitsleft);
-	/* sign-fill any excess bytes in output */
-	while (destbitsleft >= srcbitsleft + 8)
-	{
-		*r++ = (bits8) ((a < 0) ? BITMASK : 0);
-		destbitsleft -= 8;
-	}
-	/* store first fractional byte */
-	if (destbitsleft > srcbitsleft)
-	{
-		*r++ = (bits8) ((a >> (srcbitsleft - 8)) & BITMASK);
-		destbitsleft -= 8;
-	}
-	/* Now srcbitsleft and destbitsleft are the same, need not track both */
-	/* store whole bytes */
-	while (destbitsleft >= 8)
-	{
-		*r++ = (bits8) ((a >> (destbitsleft - 8)) & BITMASK);
-		destbitsleft -= 8;
+	rlen=(typmod+BITS_PER_BYTE-1)/BITS_PER_BYTE;
+
+	if (srcbits>=typmod) {
+		a<<=srcbits-typmod;
+        for (i=0; i!=rlen; ++i, a<<=BITS_PER_BYTE) r[i]=a>>(srcbits-BITS_PER_BYTE);
+	} else {
+		int sh=typmod%BITS_PER_BYTE;
+		int64 h=a>>sh;
+		int64 l=a<<(srcbits-sh);
+		size_t const zsize=rlen-sizeof(a)-(sh!=0);
+		bits8 sx=(a>=0)-1;
+		memset(r,sx,zsize);
+        for (i=0; i!=sizeof(a); ++i, h<<=8) r[zsize+i]=h>>(srcbits-BITS_PER_BYTE);
+		if (sh!=0) r[zsize+sizeof(a)]=l>>(srcbits-BITS_PER_BYTE);
 	}
-	/* store last fractional byte */
-	if (destbitsleft > 0)
-		*r = (bits8) ((a << (8 - destbitsleft)) & BITMASK);
 
 	PG_RETURN_VARBIT_P(result);
 }