diff --git a/ZString.cpp b/ZString.cpp
index 9529dd2..99074b9 100644
--- a/ZString.cpp
+++ b/ZString.cpp
@@ -62,7 +62,23 @@ namespace coreutils {
    }
 
    bool ZString::operator<(const ZString &valuex) const {
-      return (strncmp(cursor, valuex.cursor, (valuex.length <= length ? valuex.length : length)) < 0);
+      char *end1 = data + length;
+      char *end2 = valuex.getData() + valuex.getLength();
+      char *cursor1 = cursor;
+      char *cursor2 = valuex.getCursor();
+      while((cursor1 < end1) && (cursor2 < end2)) {
+	 if(*cursor1 < *cursor2)
+	   return 1;
+	 if(*cursor1 > *cursor2)
+	   return 0;
+	 ++cursor1;
+	 ++cursor2;
+      }
+      if((cursor1 == end1) && (cursor2 != end2))
+	return 1;
+      if((cursor2 == end2) && (cursor1 != end1))
+	return 0;
+      return 0;          
    }
 
    bool ZString::operator>(const ZString &valuex) const {
@@ -253,7 +269,7 @@ namespace coreutils {
 
    int ZString::compare(ZString zstring) {
       char *end1 = data + length;
-      char *end2 = zstring.getData() + getLength();
+      char *end2 = zstring.getData() + zstring.getLength();
       char *cursor1 = cursor;
       char *cursor2 = zstring.getCursor();
       while((cursor1 < end1) && (cursor2 < end2)) {
diff --git a/ZString.h b/ZString.h
index e253c77..330e5a2 100644
--- a/ZString.h
+++ b/ZString.h
@@ -100,6 +100,10 @@ namespace coreutils {
       /// A friend method used to write the value of the ZString
       /// to an ostream using the << syntax.
       ///
+
+      ///
+      /// The < operator is used to compare values if ZString is used in std::map.
+      ///
       
       bool operator<(const ZString &valuex) const;
       
diff --git a/testing/zstring_test.cpp b/testing/zstring_test.cpp
index f916e61..16257e7 100644
--- a/testing/zstring_test.cpp
+++ b/testing/zstring_test.cpp
@@ -77,5 +77,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
    coreutils::ZString test10("value1");
    coreutils::ZString test11("value1");
    std::cout << test10.compare(test11) << ":" << test11.compare(test10) << std::endl;
+
+   coreutils::ZString test12("1");
+   coreutils::ZString test13("12");
+   std::cout << (test12 < test13) << ":" << (test13 < test12) << std::endl;   
    
 }