diff --git a/simgear/hla/HLADataType.cxx b/simgear/hla/HLADataType.cxx
index ff9b2f19..1eaf0456 100644
--- a/simgear/hla/HLADataType.cxx
+++ b/simgear/hla/HLADataType.cxx
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ HLADataType::releaseDataTypeReferences()
 
 class HLADataType::_DataElementIndexVisitor : public HLADataTypeVisitor {
 public:
-    _DataElementIndexVisitor(HLADataElementIndex& index, const std::string& path, size_t offset) :
+    _DataElementIndexVisitor(HLADataElementIndex& index, const std::string& path, std::string::size_type offset) :
         _index(index),
         _path(path),
         _offset(offset),
@@ -106,7 +106,11 @@ public:
     }
     virtual void apply(const HLAArrayDataType& dataType)
     {
-        if (_path.size() <= _offset) {
+        if (_path.size() == _offset) {
+            _success = true;
+            return;
+        }
+        if (_path.size() < _offset) {
             SG_LOG(SG_NETWORK, SG_ALERT, "HLADataType: faild to parse data element index \"" << _path << "\":\n"
                    << "Expected array subscript at the end of the path!");
             return;
@@ -157,7 +161,11 @@ public:
 
     virtual void apply(const HLAFixedRecordDataType& dataType)
     {
-        if (_path.size() <= _offset) {
+        if (_path.size() == _offset) {
+            _success = true;
+            return;
+        }
+        if (_path.size() < _offset) {
             SG_LOG(SG_NETWORK, SG_ALERT, "HLADataType: faild to parse data element index \"" << _path << "\":\n"
                    << "Expected field name at the end of the path!");
             return;
@@ -169,7 +177,7 @@ public:
                    << "Expected field name at the end of the path!");
             return;
         }
-        size_t len = _path.find_first_of("[.", _offset) - _offset;
+        std::string::size_type len = std::min(_path.find_first_of("[.", _offset), _path.size()) - _offset;
         unsigned index = 0;
         while (index < dataType.getNumFields()) {
             if (_path.compare(_offset, len, dataType.getFieldName(index)) == 0)
@@ -194,7 +202,11 @@ public:
 
     virtual void apply(const HLAVariantRecordDataType& dataType)
     {
-        if (_path.size() <= _offset) {
+        if (_path.size() == _offset) {
+            _success = true;
+            return;
+        }
+        if (_path.size() < _offset) {
             SG_LOG(SG_NETWORK, SG_ALERT, "HLADataType: faild to parse data element index \"" << _path << "\":\n"
                    << "Expected alternative name at the end of the path!");
             return;
@@ -206,7 +218,7 @@ public:
                    << "Expected alternative name at the end of the path!");
             return;
         }
-        size_t len = _path.find_first_of("[.", _offset) - _offset;
+        std::string::size_type len = std::min(_path.find_first_of("[.", _offset), _path.size()) - _offset;
         unsigned index = 0;
         while (index < dataType.getNumAlternatives()) {
             if (_path.compare(_offset, len, dataType.getAlternativeName(index)) == 0)
@@ -231,12 +243,12 @@ public:
 
     HLADataElementIndex& _index;
     const std::string& _path;
-    size_t _offset;
+    std::string::size_type _offset;
     bool _success;
 };
 
 bool
-HLADataType::getDataElementIndex(HLADataElementIndex& index, const std::string& path, size_t offset) const
+HLADataType::getDataElementIndex(HLADataElementIndex& index, const std::string& path, std::string::size_type offset) const
 {
     _DataElementIndexVisitor visitor(index, path, offset);
     accept(visitor);
diff --git a/simgear/hla/HLADataType.hxx b/simgear/hla/HLADataType.hxx
index 7d045d9d..ad52958b 100644
--- a/simgear/hla/HLADataType.hxx
+++ b/simgear/hla/HLADataType.hxx
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ public:
     /// required for propper feeing of memory.
     virtual void releaseDataTypeReferences();
 
-    bool getDataElementIndex(HLADataElementIndex& index, const std::string& path, size_t offset) const;
+    bool getDataElementIndex(HLADataElementIndex& index, const std::string& path, std::string::size_type offset) const;
 
 protected:
     HLADataType(const std::string& name, unsigned alignment = 1);
diff --git a/simgear/hla/HLAObjectClass.cxx b/simgear/hla/HLAObjectClass.cxx
index 06287c38..c9282688 100644
--- a/simgear/hla/HLAObjectClass.cxx
+++ b/simgear/hla/HLAObjectClass.cxx
@@ -211,13 +211,13 @@ HLAObjectClass::getIndexPathPair(const std::string& path) const
 }
 
 bool
-HLAObjectClass::getAttributeIndex(HLADataElementIndex& dataElementIndex, const std::string& path) const
+HLAObjectClass::getDataElementIndex(HLADataElementIndex& dataElementIndex, const std::string& path) const
 {
     if (path.empty()) {
         SG_LOG(SG_NETWORK, SG_ALERT, "HLAObjectClass: failed to parse empty element path!");
         return false;
     }
-    size_t len = path.find_first_of("[.");
+    std::string::size_type len = std::min(path.find_first_of("[."), path.size());
     unsigned index = 0;
     while (index < getNumAttributes()) {
         if (path.compare(0, len, getAttributeName(index)) == 0)
@@ -240,6 +240,14 @@ HLAObjectClass::getAttributeIndex(HLADataElementIndex& dataElementIndex, const s
     return getAttributeDataType(index)->getDataElementIndex(dataElementIndex, path, len);
 }
 
+HLADataElementIndex
+HLAObjectClass::getDataElementIndex(const std::string& path) const
+{
+    HLADataElementIndex dataElementIndex;
+    getDataElementIndex(dataElementIndex, path);
+    return dataElementIndex;
+}
+
 bool
 HLAObjectClass::subscribe()
 {
diff --git a/simgear/hla/HLAObjectClass.hxx b/simgear/hla/HLAObjectClass.hxx
index 10767cf9..97596d40 100644
--- a/simgear/hla/HLAObjectClass.hxx
+++ b/simgear/hla/HLAObjectClass.hxx
@@ -78,7 +78,8 @@ public:
     HLADataElement::IndexPathPair getIndexPathPair(const std::string& path) const;
 
     /// Get the attribute data element index for the given path, return true if successful
-    bool getAttributeIndex(HLADataElementIndex& dataElementIndex, const std::string& path) const;
+    bool getDataElementIndex(HLADataElementIndex& dataElementIndex, const std::string& path) const;
+    HLADataElementIndex getDataElementIndex(const std::string& path) const;
 
     virtual bool subscribe();
     virtual bool unsubscribe();
diff --git a/simgear/hla/HLAObjectInstance.cxx b/simgear/hla/HLAObjectInstance.cxx
index ea8114a2..39ff74ca 100644
--- a/simgear/hla/HLAObjectInstance.cxx
+++ b/simgear/hla/HLAObjectInstance.cxx
@@ -443,14 +443,22 @@ HLAObjectInstance::setAttributes(const HLAAttributePathElementMap& attributePath
 }
 
 bool
-HLAObjectInstance::getAttributeIndex(HLADataElementIndex& index, const std::string& path) const
+HLAObjectInstance::getDataElementIndex(HLADataElementIndex& index, const std::string& path) const
 {
     HLAObjectClass* objectClass = getObjectClass().get();
     if (!objectClass) {
         SG_LOG(SG_IO, SG_ALERT, "Could not get the data element index of an object instance with unknown class!");
         return false;
     }
-    return objectClass->getAttributeIndex(index, path);
+    return objectClass->getDataElementIndex(index, path);
+}
+
+HLADataElementIndex
+HLAObjectInstance::getDataElementIndex(const std::string& path) const
+{
+    HLADataElementIndex dataElementIndex;
+    getDataElementIndex(dataElementIndex, path);
+    return dataElementIndex;
 }
 
 HLADataElement*
@@ -488,8 +496,10 @@ HLAObjectInstance::setAttributeDataElement(const HLADataElementIndex& index, con
         setAttributeDataElement(index[0], dataElement);
     } else {
         SGSharedPtr<HLADataElement> attributeDataElement = getAttributeDataElement(index[0]);
-        if (!attributeDataElement.valid())
-            attributeDataElement = createAttributeDataElement(index[0]);
+        if (!attributeDataElement.valid()) {
+            createAndSetAttributeDataElement(index[0]);
+            attributeDataElement = getAttributeDataElement(index[0]);
+        }
         if (!attributeDataElement.valid())
             return;
         attributeDataElement->setDataElement(index.begin() + 1, index.end(), dataElement.get());
@@ -500,7 +510,7 @@ HLADataElement*
 HLAObjectInstance::getAttributeDataElement(const std::string& path)
 {
     HLADataElementIndex index;
-    if (!getAttributeIndex(index, path))
+    if (!getDataElementIndex(index, path))
         return 0;
     return getAttributeDataElement(index); 
 }
@@ -509,7 +519,7 @@ const HLADataElement*
 HLAObjectInstance::getAttributeDataElement(const std::string& path) const
 {
     HLADataElementIndex index;
-    if (!getAttributeIndex(index, path))
+    if (!getDataElementIndex(index, path))
         return 0;
     return getAttributeDataElement(index); 
 }
@@ -518,7 +528,7 @@ void
 HLAObjectInstance::setAttributeDataElement(const std::string& path, const SGSharedPtr<HLADataElement>& dataElement)
 {
     HLADataElementIndex index;
-    if (!getAttributeIndex(index, path))
+    if (!getDataElementIndex(index, path))
         return;
     setAttributeDataElement(index, dataElement); 
 }
diff --git a/simgear/hla/HLAObjectInstance.hxx b/simgear/hla/HLAObjectInstance.hxx
index cd18d06f..a7c802d4 100644
--- a/simgear/hla/HLAObjectInstance.hxx
+++ b/simgear/hla/HLAObjectInstance.hxx
@@ -78,7 +78,8 @@ public:
     void setAttributes(const HLAAttributePathElementMap& attributePathElementMap);
 
     /// Retrieve the data element index for the given path.
-    bool getAttributeIndex(HLADataElementIndex& index, const std::string& path) const;
+    bool getDataElementIndex(HLADataElementIndex& index, const std::string& path) const;
+    HLADataElementIndex getDataElementIndex(const std::string& path) const;
 
     /// Return the data element of the attribute with the given index
     HLADataElement* getAttributeDataElement(const HLADataElementIndex& index);