--- loncom/lonnet/perl/lonnet.pm	2012/12/03 14:47:37	1.1205
+++ loncom/lonnet/perl/lonnet.pm	2012/12/05 17:40:59	1.1206
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # The LearningOnline Network
 # TCP networking package
 #
-# $Id: lonnet.pm,v 1.1205 2012/12/03 14:47:37 raeburn Exp $
+# $Id: lonnet.pm,v 1.1206 2012/12/05 17:40:59 raeburn Exp $
 #
 # Copyright Michigan State University Board of Trustees
 #
@@ -10622,14 +10622,14 @@ sub deversion {
 
 sub symbread {
     my ($thisfn,$donotrecurse)=@_;
-    my $cache_str='request.symbread.cached.'.$thisfn;
-    if (defined($env{$cache_str})) {
-        if (($thisfn) || ($env{$cache_str} ne '')) {
+    my $cache_str;
+    if ($thisfn ne '') {
+        $cache_str='request.symbread.cached.'.$thisfn;
+        if ($env{$cache_str} ne '') {
             return $env{$cache_str};
         }
-    }
+    } else {
 # no filename provided? try from environment
-    unless ($thisfn) {
         if ($env{'request.symb'}) {
 	    return $env{$cache_str}=&symbclean($env{'request.symb'});
 	}