diff --git a/bind8/convert_slave.cgi b/bind8/convert_slave.cgi
index 03d6d592c..9dc1dae50 100755
--- a/bind8/convert_slave.cgi
+++ b/bind8/convert_slave.cgi
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@ $file = &find("file", $zconf->{'members'});
 if (!$file) {
 	&error($text{'convert_efile'});
 	}
+$file = &make_chroot(&absolute_path($file));
+if (!-s $file) {
+	&error(&text('convert_efilesize', $file));
+	}
 &lock_file(&make_chroot($zconf->{'file'}));
 
 # Change the type directive
@@ -26,5 +30,19 @@ if (!$file) {
 
 &flush_file_lines();
 &unlock_file(&make_chroot($zconf->{'file'}));
+
+# Convert from binary slave format to text
+if (&is_raw_format_records($file)) {
+	&has_command("named-compilezone") ||
+		&error($text{'convert_ebinary'});
+	$temp = &transname();
+	&copy_source_dest($file, $temp);
+	$out = &backquote_logged("named-compilezone -f raw -F text ".
+				 "-o $file $zone->{'name'} $temp 2>&1");
+	&error(&text('convert_ecompile', "<tt>".&html_escape($out)."</tt>"))
+		if ($?);
+	&unlink_file($temp);
+	}
+
 &redirect("");
 
diff --git a/bind8/lang/en b/bind8/lang/en
index c506cea1a..96b77efbd 100644
--- a/bind8/lang/en
+++ b/bind8/lang/en
@@ -824,6 +824,9 @@ log_dnssec=Change DNSSEC key re-signing
 
 convert_err=Failed to convert zone
 convert_efile=A records file must be specified before a slave zone can be converted to a master.
+convert_efilesize=Records file $1 does not exist or is empty
+convert_ebinary=The command needed to convert from a binary slave zone to a text format master is not installed
+convert_ecompile=Binary to text format conversion failed : $1
 
 whois_title=WHOIS Information
 whois_header=Output from command $1 ..