diff --git a/plug-ins/perl/Changes b/plug-ins/perl/Changes
index 91e2b987d4..01ec962d14 100644
--- a/plug-ins/perl/Changes
+++ b/plug-ins/perl/Changes
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@ Revision history for Gimp-Perl extension.
         - patch by Frank Loemker <floemker@TechFak.Uni-Bielefeld.DE> to fix
           many missing :auto tags.
         - Gimp.xs now defines fallback functions for gettext & friends.
+        - I removed the "old prefix" check that I was almost forced to
+          implement. This was not a good idea, is not a good idea, and
+          completely breaks on many occasions. Just do not do that. If
+          only people would trust me sometimes :(
 
 1.17  Wed Nov 24 21:25:19 CET 1999
         - re-fitted i18n translation for most plug-ins.
diff --git a/plug-ins/perl/Gimp.pm b/plug-ins/perl/Gimp.pm
index c293cd124d..5075bfce45 100644
--- a/plug-ins/perl/Gimp.pm
+++ b/plug-ins/perl/Gimp.pm
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ use subs qw(init end lock unlock canonicalize_color);
 BEGIN {
    require DynaLoader;
    @ISA=qw(DynaLoader);
-   $VERSION = 1.16;
+   $VERSION = 1.18;
    bootstrap Gimp $VERSION;
 }
 
diff --git a/plug-ins/perl/Gimp.xs b/plug-ins/perl/Gimp.xs
index 4005d2eb6e..ceceac58af 100644
--- a/plug-ins/perl/Gimp.xs
+++ b/plug-ins/perl/Gimp.xs
@@ -43,13 +43,6 @@ MODULE = Gimp	PACKAGE = Gimp
 
 PROTOTYPES: ENABLE
 
-BOOT:
-#ifdef ENABLE_NLS
-	setlocale (LC_MESSAGES, ""); /* calling twice doesn't hurt, no? */
-        bindtextdomain ("gimp-perl", datadir "/locale");
-        textdomain ("gimp-perl");
-#endif
-
 void
 _exit()
 	CODE:
@@ -62,6 +55,13 @@ _exit()
 #endif
 	abort();
 
+#ifdef ENABLE_NLS
+
+BOOT:
+	setlocale (LC_MESSAGES, ""); /* calling twice doesn't hurt, no? */
+        bindtextdomain ("gimp-perl", datadir "/locale");
+        textdomain ("gimp-perl");
+
 char *
 bindtextdomain(d,dir)
 	char *	d
@@ -85,6 +85,53 @@ __(s)
 	char *	s
         PROTOTYPE: $
 
+#else
+
+char *
+bindtextdomain(d,dir)
+	char *	d
+	char *	dir
+        CODE:
+        RETVAL = "";
+	OUTPUT:
+        RETVAL
+
+char *
+textdomain(d)
+	char *	d
+        CODE:
+        RETVAL = "";
+	OUTPUT:
+        RETVAL
+
+char *
+gettext(s)
+	char *	s
+        CODE:
+        RETVAL = s;
+	OUTPUT:
+        RETVAL
+
+char *
+dgettext(d,s)
+	char *	d
+	char *	s
+        CODE:
+        RETVAL = s;
+	OUTPUT:
+        RETVAL
+
+char *
+__(s)
+	char *	s
+        PROTOTYPE: $
+        CODE:
+        RETVAL = s;
+	OUTPUT:
+        RETVAL
+
+#endif
+
 void
 xs_exit(status)
 	int	status
diff --git a/plug-ins/perl/Gimp/Compat.pm b/plug-ins/perl/Gimp/Compat.pm
index 462abfdae6..baa5c84a10 100644
--- a/plug-ins/perl/Gimp/Compat.pm
+++ b/plug-ins/perl/Gimp/Compat.pm
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ Gimp-Perl extension (contact him to include new functions) is Marc Lehmann
 
 package      Gimp::Compat;
 
-$VERSION=1.16;
+$VERSION=1.18;
 
 use Gimp ('croak', '__');
 
diff --git a/plug-ins/perl/Gimp/Lib.pm b/plug-ins/perl/Gimp/Lib.pm
index f519805002..7f3fe52865 100644
--- a/plug-ins/perl/Gimp/Lib.pm
+++ b/plug-ins/perl/Gimp/Lib.pm
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ use base qw(DynaLoader);
 
 require DynaLoader;
 
-$VERSION = 1.16;
+$VERSION = 1.18;
 
 use subs qw(
 	gimp_call_procedure		gimp_main	gimp_init
diff --git a/plug-ins/perl/Gimp/Module.pm b/plug-ins/perl/Gimp/Module.pm
index d8a40fb21b..7d9250fe38 100644
--- a/plug-ins/perl/Gimp/Module.pm
+++ b/plug-ins/perl/Gimp/Module.pm
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ package Gimp::Module;
 use base qw(DynaLoader);
 require DynaLoader;
 
-$VERSION=1.16;
+$VERSION=1.18;
 
 bootstrap Gimp::Module;
 
diff --git a/plug-ins/perl/Gimp/Pod.pm b/plug-ins/perl/Gimp/Pod.pm
index 48ce7ad508..ddb57ec828 100644
--- a/plug-ins/perl/Gimp/Pod.pm
+++ b/plug-ins/perl/Gimp/Pod.pm
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 package Gimp::Pod;
 
-$VERSION=1.16;
+$VERSION=1.18;
 
 sub myqx(&) {
    local $/;
diff --git a/plug-ins/perl/Gimp/Util.pm b/plug-ins/perl/Gimp/Util.pm
index fb7127ed0a..356204531c 100644
--- a/plug-ins/perl/Gimp/Util.pm
+++ b/plug-ins/perl/Gimp/Util.pm
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ require      Exporter;
 
 use Gimp;
 
-$VERSION=1.16;
+$VERSION=1.18;
 
 ##############################################################################
 =pod
diff --git a/plug-ins/perl/Makefile.PL b/plug-ins/perl/Makefile.PL
index 7ea5feca68..7cef803fe8 100644
--- a/plug-ins/perl/Makefile.PL
+++ b/plug-ins/perl/Makefile.PL
@@ -69,7 +69,8 @@ WARNING: You are using the experimental (and very broken) multithread support.
 EOF
 }
 
-@INC = grep /^\//,@INC;
+@INC = grep /^\//,@INC; # comment out as well?
+if (0) {		# comment out because it breaks
 eval { $Gimp::no_SIG=1; require Gimp };
 unless($@) {
    eval { require Gimp::Config };
@@ -108,6 +109,7 @@ EOF
       }
    }
 }
+}
 
 eval "use Gtk;"; $GTK = $@ eq "";
 eval "use Parse::RecDescent;"; $PRD = $@ eq "";
diff --git a/plug-ins/perl/Net/Net.pm b/plug-ins/perl/Net/Net.pm
index a83111258f..f4d0d9a44d 100644
--- a/plug-ins/perl/Net/Net.pm
+++ b/plug-ins/perl/Net/Net.pm
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ use Gimp ('croak','__');
 
 require DynaLoader;
 
-$VERSION = 1.16;
+$VERSION = 1.18;
 
 bootstrap Gimp::Net $VERSION;
 
diff --git a/plug-ins/perl/UI/UI.pm b/plug-ins/perl/UI/UI.pm
index 9383bd8bc0..66fe3a1a7a 100644
--- a/plug-ins/perl/UI/UI.pm
+++ b/plug-ins/perl/UI/UI.pm
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ use base 'DynaLoader';
 
 BEGIN {
    require DynaLoader;
-   $VERSION = 1.16;
+   $VERSION = 1.18;
    bootstrap Gimp::UI $VERSION;
 }