> So, if it is possible to fix this and remove this weird special case and cast it into the abyss, then by all means, you have my 10 thumbs up.  Not that it counts for much :)

Me too.
We still have a couple hundred RHEL4/5 boxes at work, and I guess we're not alone in this case. It's a really specific case, but I think it would be nice to fix it, especially since it also makes the code more understandable and less error-prone. Unless of course this special treatment is really necessary, in which case I'll have to think of another solution or just drop it.
I'm adding Antoine to the noisy list, since he's noted as thread expert in the Experts Index.