diff --git a/lib/php/src/Thrift.php b/lib/php/src/Thrift.php
index ab56eff..8118e3b 100644
--- a/lib/php/src/Thrift.php
+++ b/lib/php/src/Thrift.php
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 class TMessageType {
   const CALL  = 1;
   const REPLY = 2;
+  const EXCEPTION = 3;
 }
 
 class TException extends Exception {
diff --git a/lib/php/src/transport/TPhpStream.php b/lib/php/src/transport/TPhpStream.php
index d650935..1f37173 100644
--- a/lib/php/src/transport/TPhpStream.php
+++ b/lib/php/src/transport/TPhpStream.php
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@
   }
 
   public function write($buf) {
-    while (!empty($buf)) {
+    while (strlen($buf) > 0) {
       $got = @fwrite($this->outStream_, $buf);
       if ($got === 0 || $got === FALSE) {
         throw new Exception('TPhpStream: Could not write '.strlen($buf).' bytes');
diff --git a/lib/php/src/transport/TSocket.php b/lib/php/src/transport/TSocket.php
index d02b70b..f7ecce0 100644
--- a/lib/php/src/transport/TSocket.php
+++ b/lib/php/src/transport/TSocket.php
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@
       stream_set_timeout($this->handle_, 0, $this->sendTimeout_*1000);
       $this->sendTimeoutSet_ = TRUE;
     }
-    while (!empty($buf)) {
+    while (strlen($buf) > 0) {
       $got = @fwrite($this->handle_, $buf);
       if ($got === 0 || $got === FALSE) {
         $md = stream_get_meta_data($this->handle_);