diff -ruN parrot-1.0.0/config/auto/alignptrs/test_c.in parrot-1.0.0.XF/config/auto/alignptrs/test_c.in
--- parrot-1.0.0/config/auto/alignptrs/test_c.in	2009-03-09 07:32:47.000000000 +1100
+++ parrot-1.0.0.XF/config/auto/alignptrs/test_c.in	2009-03-26 00:56:23.158900414 +1100
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@
 void bletch(int s) { exit(1); }
 #endif
 
+#ifdef __linux
+#include <sys/prctl.h>
+#endif /* __linux */
+
 int
 main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
@@ -34,11 +38,15 @@
     signal(SIGBUS, bletch);
 #endif
 
+#if defined(PR_SET_UNALIGN) && defined(PR_UNALIGN_SIGBUS)
+    prctl(PR_SET_UNALIGN, PR_UNALIGN_SIGBUS, 0, 0, 0);
+#endif
+
     for (i = 0; i < 32; i ++) space[i] = 0;
 
     for (c = argv[1]; *c; c++) align = align * 10 + ((int)*c - '0');
 
-#if defined(__alpha)
+#if defined(__alpha) && !defined(PR_SET_UNALIGN)
     if (align < 8) {
         printf("Soft failure hack for systems that simulate unaligned access\n");
         return 1;