Index: base.eclass
===================================================================
RCS file: /var/cvsroot/gentoo-x86/eclass/base.eclass,v
retrieving revision 1.32
diff -u -r1.32 base.eclass
--- base.eclass	12 Feb 2008 23:51:51 -0000	1.32
+++ base.eclass	13 Feb 2008 19:29:21 -0000
@@ -34,10 +34,21 @@
 			debug-print-section autopatch
 			debug-print "$FUNCNAME: autopatch: PATCHES=$PATCHES, PATCHES1=$PATCHES1"
 			cd "${S}"
-			for x in $PATCHES $PATCHES1; do
-				debug-print "$FUNCNAME: autopatch: patching from ${x}"
-				epatch ${x}
-			done
+			if [[ ${#PATCHES[@]} -gt 1 ]]; then
+				for x in "${PATCHES[@]}"; do
+					debug-print "$FUNCNAME: autopatch: patching from ${x}"
+					epatch "${x}"
+				done
+			else
+				if [[ "${PATCHES}" =~ [[:space:]] ]]; then
+					eqawarn "${CATEGORY}/${P} should be updated to use arrays"
+					eqawarn "for \${PATCHES}, report this to http://bugs.gentoo.org"
+				fi
+				for x in ${PATCHES} ${PATCHES1}; do
+					debug-print "$FUNCNAME: autopatch: patching from ${x}"
+					epatch "${x}"
+				done
+			fi
 			;;
 		all)
 			debug-print-section all