diff --git a/virtualsmartcard/src/vpicc/virtualsmartcard/CryptoUtils.py b/virtualsmartcard/src/vpicc/virtualsmartcard/CryptoUtils.py
index 275bc07..b1112ee 100644
--- a/virtualsmartcard/src/vpicc/virtualsmartcard/CryptoUtils.py
+++ b/virtualsmartcard/src/vpicc/virtualsmartcard/CryptoUtils.py
@@ -203,11 +203,12 @@ def protect_string(string, password, cipherspec=None):
      
     #Derive a key and a salt from password
     pbk = crypt(password)
-    regex = re.compile('\$p5k2\$\$[\w./]*\$')
+    regex = re.compile('\$p5k2\$(\d*)\$([\w./]*)\$([\w./]*)')
     match = regex.match(pbk)
     if match != None:
-        salt = pbk[7:match.end()-1]
-        key = pbk[match.end():]
+        iterations = match.group(1)
+        salt = match.group(2)
+        key = match.group(3)
     else:
         raise ValueError
     
@@ -231,11 +232,11 @@ def read_protected_string(string, password, cipherspec=None):
     hmac_length = 32 #FIXME: Ugly
 
     #Check if the string has the structure, that is generated by protect_string 
-    regex = re.compile('\$p5k2\$\$[\w./]*\$')
+    regex = re.compile('\$p5k2\$\$([\w./]*)\$')
     match = regex.match(string)
     if match != None:
+        salt = match.group(1)
         crypted = string[match.end():len(string) - hmac_length]
-        salt = string[7:match.end() - 1]
         hmac = string[len(string) - hmac_length:]
     else:
         raise ValueError("Wrong string format")
@@ -323,8 +324,7 @@ def crypt(word, salt=None, iterations=None):
     else:
         salt = "$p5k2$%x$%s" % (iterations, salt)
     rawhash = pbkdf2_hmac('sha1', salt, word, iterations, 24)
-    # return salt + "$" + b64encode(rawhash, "./") DO: Original return line
-    return salt + "$" + rawhash
+    return salt + "$" + b64encode(rawhash, "./")
 
 def _makesalt():
     """Return a 48-bit pseudorandom salt for crypt().
diff --git a/virtualsmartcard/src/vpicc/virtualsmartcard/tests/CryptoUtils_test.py b/virtualsmartcard/src/vpicc/virtualsmartcard/tests/CryptoUtils_test.py
index 5f3ffc7..9ba7c32 100644
--- a/virtualsmartcard/src/vpicc/virtualsmartcard/tests/CryptoUtils_test.py
+++ b/virtualsmartcard/src/vpicc/virtualsmartcard/tests/CryptoUtils_test.py
@@ -30,9 +30,10 @@ class TestCryptoUtils(unittest.TestCase):
         # The data generated by protect_string should actually consist of
         # printable characters only but that would break backwards
         # compatibility with the (buggy) legacy implementation
-        self.protectedTestString = "2470356b322424504f63775949487224ffa330e33b2d76b82e91a4c88ff722414d3522bcbdb8a4a45cd7c61963b52825e1361354d5b5efbcfeabfb66fa3f97dfecd5e57617b8e0172017785f4001e9653366363763323639363965313261386363623738326435326639653563633339".decode('hex')
+        self.protectedTestString = "2470356b32242478424f50746f6d712448b8f6285ac8462fffc6aef921f2ad84855219c5aaafb39c4cc9e54d1634c60cfc9347c67fa55967c5b0130469c96a44f0b73c53f5ddfc43cd8c1ef68965ebb23330393265383732333937353465653838643135363830666637336134316532".decode('hex')
         self.salt = "POcwYIHr"
-        self.cryptedWord = "2470356b322424504f63775949487224993c1d36e308d941d0fa240d18f4097ce8d0995226f04800".decode('hex')
+        self.cryptedWord = "$p5k2$$POcwYIHr$SPaWqD3NpmLZc6gXbeybnAoCxo7Oc//K"
+        self.cryptedWordThousandIterations = "$p5k2$3e8$POcwYIHr$f/mEOCulo6v7Nq2ooS3480xTet6zdGbI"
 
     def test_padding(self):
         padded = append_padding(16, self.teststring)
@@ -49,8 +50,12 @@ class TestCryptoUtils(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(unprotectedString, self.teststring)
 
     def test_crypt(self):
-        cryptedWord = crypt(self.teststring, self.salt, 400)
+        cryptedWord = crypt(self.teststring, self.salt)
         self.assertEqual(cryptedWord, self.cryptedWord)
 
+    def test_crypt_non_default_iterations(self):
+        cryptedWord = crypt(self.teststring, self.salt, 1000)
+        self.assertEqual(cryptedWord, self.cryptedWordThousandIterations)
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()