diff --git a/wp-includes/functions.php b/wp-includes/functions.php
index 602a573c4f..92df5981a9 100644
--- a/wp-includes/functions.php
+++ b/wp-includes/functions.php
@@ -2418,8 +2418,8 @@ if ( ( $wp_locale ) && ( 'rtl' == $wp_locale->text_direction ) ) : ?>
 <body id="error-page">
 <?php endif; ?>
 	<?php echo $message; ?>
-	<?php if ( strlen($message) < 512) echo str_repeat(' ', 512-strlen($message)); ?>
 </body>
+<!-- Ticket #8942, IE bug fix: always pad the error page with enough characters such that it is greater than 512 bytes, even after gzip compression abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz1234567890aabbccddeeffgghhiijjkkllmmnnooppqqrrssttuuvvwwxxyyzz11223344556677889900abacbcbdcdcededfefegfgfhghgihihjijikjkjlklkmlmlnmnmononpopoqpqprqrqsrsrtstsubcbcdcdedefefgfabcadefbghicjkldmnoepqrfstugvwxhyz1i234j567k890laabmbccnddeoeffpgghqhiirjjksklltmmnunoovppqwqrrxsstytuuzvvw0wxx1yyz2z113223434455666777889890091abc2def3ghi4jkl5mno6pqr7stu8vwx9yz11aab2bcc3dd4ee5ff6gg7hh8ii9j0jk1kl2lmm3nnoo4p5pq6qrr7ss8tt9uuvv0wwx1x2yyzz13aba4cbcb5dcdc6dedfef8egf9gfh0ghg1ihi2hji3jik4jkj5lkl6kml7mln8mnm9ono -->
 </html>
 <?php
 	die();
