diff -Naur asterisk.orig/app.c asterisk/app.c
--- asterisk.orig/app.c	2005-06-09 15:27:19.000000000 -0400
+++ asterisk/app.c	2005-07-08 21:18:01.000000000 -0400
@@ -678,6 +678,15 @@
 					ast_frfree(f);
 					break;
 				}
+				if (f->subclass == '*') {
+				/* Check for a '*' during message recording also, in case caller want to escape */
+					if (option_verbose > 2)
+						ast_verbose(VERBOSE_PREFIX_3 "User cancelled by pressing %c\n", f->subclass);
+					res = '*';
+					outmsg = 0;
+					ast_frfree(f);
+					break;
+				}
 			if (maxtime) {
 				time(&end);
 				if (maxtime < (end - start)) {
diff -Naur asterisk.orig/apps/app_voicemail.c asterisk/apps/app_voicemail.c
--- asterisk.orig/apps/app_voicemail.c	2005-07-07 19:17:22.000000000 -0400
+++ asterisk/apps/app_voicemail.c	2005-07-08 21:18:31.000000000 -0400
@@ -2113,6 +2113,7 @@
 		/* Check for a '*' here in case the caller wants to escape from voicemail to something
 		other than the operator -- an automated attendant or mailbox login for example */
 		if (res == '*') {
+			escape:
 			chan->exten[0] = 'a';
 			chan->exten[1] = '\0';
 			if (!ast_strlen_zero(vmu->exit)) {
@@ -2207,6 +2208,11 @@
 						fclose(txt);
 					goto transfer;
 				}
+				if (res == '*') {
+					if (txt)
+						fclose(txt);
+					goto escape;
+				}
 				if (res > 0)
 					res = 0;
 				if (txt) {
@@ -6024,6 +6030,12 @@
  		case '8':
  		case '9':
 		case '*':
+			if (message_exists || recorded) {
+				DELETE(recordfile, -1, recordfile);
+				cmd = '*';
+			}
+			return cmd;
+			break;
 		case '#':
  			cmd = ast_play_and_wait(chan, "vm-sorry");
  			break;