dpkg-scanpackages, md5sum failure (strange text from md5sum)

[funky soul <funkysoul@swissonline.ch>]

hi,

i've just upgraded from stable/woody to testing/sarge, works great.
then i tried to build local Package[.gz] files with dpkg-scanpackage.
now, after the upgrade dpkg/md5sum seems to be broken:

when i run 'dpkg-scanpackages pool/sarge/main /dev/null' i get

Strange text from `md5sum < pool/sarge/main/a/apache-ssl_1.3.26.1+1.48-2_i386.deb':`4cfea9756f71db2d04cf77e2e436f56d  -'

i've also removed pool/sarge/main/a/apache-ssl_1.3.26.1+1.48-2_i386.deb because
i thought it might be a problem with this specific package, but dpkg-scanpackage
fails at all other packages too.

anybody out there with the same problem or a solution for this?
and is this the right list to post this?

greets, f. soul