diff --git a/include/salmon.php b/include/salmon.php
index 85bda1c8f3..d998b27043 100644
--- a/include/salmon.php
+++ b/include/salmon.php
@@ -178,11 +178,11 @@ EOT;
 	));
 
 	$a = get_app();
-	$return_code = trim($a->get_curl_code());
+	$return_code = $a->get_curl_code();
 
 	// check for success, e.g. 2xx
 
-	if(substr($return_code,0,1) !== '2') {
+	if(($return_code >= 200) && ($return_code < 300)) {
 
 		// Entirely likely that their salmon implementation is
 		// non-compliant. Let's try once more, this time only signing
@@ -201,12 +201,12 @@ EOT;
 			'Content-type: application/magic-envelope+xml',
 			'Content-length: ' . strlen($salmon)
 		));
-		$return_code = trim($a->get_curl_code());
+		$return_code = $a->get_curl_code();
 
 	}
 	logger('slapper returned ' . $return_code); 
 	if(! $return_code)
 		return(-1);
-	return ((substr($return_code,0,1) === '2') ? 0 : 1);
+	return ((($return_code >= 200) && ($return_code < 300)) ? 0 : 1);
 }