--- loncom/lonnet/perl/lonnet.pm	2012/06/24 17:54:59	1.1178
+++ loncom/lonnet/perl/lonnet.pm	2012/07/05 19:27:27	1.1179
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # The LearningOnline Network
 # TCP networking package
 #
-# $Id: lonnet.pm,v 1.1178 2012/06/24 17:54:59 raeburn Exp $
+# $Id: lonnet.pm,v 1.1179 2012/07/05 19:27:27 raeburn Exp $
 #
 # Copyright Michigan State University Board of Trustees
 #
@@ -9960,7 +9960,11 @@ sub deversion {
 sub symbread {
     my ($thisfn,$donotrecurse)=@_;
     my $cache_str='request.symbread.cached.'.$thisfn;
-    if (defined($env{$cache_str})) { return $env{$cache_str}; }
+    if (defined($env{$cache_str})) {
+        if (($thisfn) || ($env{$cache_str} ne '')) {
+            return $env{$cache_str};
+        }
+    }
 # no filename provided? try from environment
     unless ($thisfn) {
         if ($env{'request.symb'}) {