--- pdksh-5.2.14/jobs.c~	2008-09-24 06:47:49.000000000 +0200
+++ pdksh-5.2.14/jobs.c	2008-09-24 06:48:40.000000000 +0200
@@ -226,7 +226,10 @@
 j_init(mflagset)
 	int mflagset;
 {
-	child_max = CHILD_MAX; /* so syscon() isn't always being called */
+	if (CHILD_MAX < 0)
+		child_max = 999; /* value from glibc 2.7 */
+	else
+		child_max = CHILD_MAX; /* so syscon() isn't always being called */
 
 #ifdef JOB_SIGS
 	sigemptyset(&sm_default);