diff --git a/simgear/misc/sg_dir.cxx b/simgear/misc/sg_dir.cxx
index 208a05ed..0c8065c3 100644
--- a/simgear/misc/sg_dir.cxx
+++ b/simgear/misc/sg_dir.cxx
@@ -341,6 +341,10 @@ bool Dir::create(mode_t mode)
 
 bool Dir::removeChildren() const
 {
+    if (!exists()) {
+        return true;
+    }
+
     bool ok;
     PathList cs = children(NO_DOT_OR_DOTDOT | INCLUDE_HIDDEN | TYPE_FILE | TYPE_DIR);
     BOOST_FOREACH(SGPath path, cs) {
diff --git a/simgear/package/CatalogTest.cxx b/simgear/package/CatalogTest.cxx
index 8881fd3a..d1bd629a 100644
--- a/simgear/package/CatalogTest.cxx
+++ b/simgear/package/CatalogTest.cxx
@@ -178,6 +178,16 @@ int parseTest()
     unsigned int skisVariant = p2->indexOfVariant("c172p-skis");
     VERIFY(skisVariant > 0);
 
+
+    COMPARE(p2->getLocalisedProp("description", skisVariant), "A plane with skis");
+    COMPARE(p2->getLocalisedProp("author", skisVariant), "Standard author");
+
+    unsigned int floatsVariant = p2->indexOfVariant("c172p-floats");
+    VERIFY(floatsVariant > 0);
+
+    COMPARE(p2->getLocalisedProp("description", floatsVariant), "A plane with floats");
+    COMPARE(p2->getLocalisedProp("author", floatsVariant), "Floats variant author");
+
     pkg::Package::ThumbnailVec thumbs2 = p2->thumbnailsForVariant(skisVariant);
     COMPARE(thumbs2.size(), 2);
 
diff --git a/simgear/package/catalogTest1/catalog.xml b/simgear/package/catalogTest1/catalog.xml
index ab8ab4f1..a9ccc5dd 100644
--- a/simgear/package/catalogTest1/catalog.xml
+++ b/simgear/package/catalogTest1/catalog.xml
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
         <description>A plane made by Cessna</description>
         <revision type="int">42</revision>
         <file-size-bytes type="int">860</file-size-bytes>
+        <author>Standard author</author>
 
         <tag>cessna</tag>
         <tag>ga</tag>
@@ -73,6 +74,8 @@
         <variant>
             <id>c172p-floats</id>
             <name>C172 with floats</name>
+            <description>A plane with floats</description>
+            <author>Floats variant author</author>
 
             <thumbnail>
               <type>exterior</type>
@@ -90,6 +93,7 @@
         <variant>
             <id>c172p-skis</id>
             <name>C172 with skis</name>
+            <description>A plane with skis</description>
 
             <thumbnail>
               <type>exterior</type>