--- hurdselect.c-38+patches	2013-01-22 16:09:25.000000000 +0100
+++ hurdselect_step1_1.c	2013-01-22 18:50:19.000000000 +0100
@@ -68,6 +68,65 @@ _hurd_select (int nfds,
   assert (sizeof (union typeword) == sizeof (mach_msg_type_t));
   assert (sizeof (uint32_t) == sizeof (mach_msg_type_t));
 
+  enum {
+    DELAY = -1,
+    SELECT = 0,
+    POLL = 1
+  } ispoll;
+
+  if (nfds == 0)
+    ispoll = DELAY;
+  else if (pollfds)
+    ispoll = POLL;
+  else
+    ispoll = SELECT;
+
+      union
+	{
+	  mach_msg_header_t head;
+#ifdef MACH_MSG_TRAILER_MINIMUM_SIZE
+	  struct
+	    {
+	      mach_msg_header_t head;
+	      NDR_record_t ndr;
+	      error_t err;
+	    } error;
+	  struct
+	    {
+	      mach_msg_header_t head;
+	      NDR_record_t ndr;
+	      error_t err;
+	      int result;
+	      mach_msg_trailer_t trailer;
+	    } success;
+#else
+	  struct
+	    {
+	      mach_msg_header_t head;
+	      union typeword err_type;
+	      error_t err;
+	    } error;
+	  struct
+	    {
+	      mach_msg_header_t head;
+	      union typeword err_type;
+	      error_t err;
+	      union typeword result_type;
+	      int result;
+	    } success;
+#endif
+	} msg;
+      mach_msg_option_t options = (timeout == NULL ? 0 : MACH_RCV_TIMEOUT);
+      error_t msgerr;
+
+#define IO_SELECT_REPLY_MSGID (21012 + 100) /* XXX */
+#ifdef MACH_MSG_TYPE_BIT
+	  const union typeword inttype =
+	  { type:
+	    { MACH_MSG_TYPE_INTEGER_T, sizeof (integer_t) * 8, 1, 1, 0, 0 }
+	  };
+#endif
+
   if (nfds < 0 || nfds > FD_SETSIZE)
     {
       errno = EINVAL;
@@ -296,57 +355,12 @@ _hurd_select (int nfds,
     {
       /* Now wait for io_select_reply messages on PORT,
 	 timing out as appropriate.  */
-
-      union
-	{
-	  mach_msg_header_t head;
-#ifdef MACH_MSG_TRAILER_MINIMUM_SIZE
-	  struct
-	    {
-	      mach_msg_header_t head;
-	      NDR_record_t ndr;
-	      error_t err;
-	    } error;
-	  struct
-	    {
-	      mach_msg_header_t head;
-	      NDR_record_t ndr;
-	      error_t err;
-	      int result;
-	      mach_msg_trailer_t trailer;
-	    } success;
-#else
-	  struct
-	    {
-	      mach_msg_header_t head;
-	      union typeword err_type;
-	      error_t err;
-	    } error;
-	  struct
-	    {
-	      mach_msg_header_t head;
-	      union typeword err_type;
-	      error_t err;
-	      union typeword result_type;
-	      int result;
-	    } success;
-#endif
-	} msg;
-      mach_msg_option_t options = (timeout == NULL ? 0 : MACH_RCV_TIMEOUT);
-      error_t msgerr;
       while ((msgerr = __mach_msg (&msg.head,
 				   MACH_RCV_MSG | MACH_RCV_INTERRUPT | options,
 				   0, sizeof msg, portset, to,
 				   MACH_PORT_NULL)) == MACH_MSG_SUCCESS)
 	{
 	  /* We got a message.  Decode it.  */
-#define IO_SELECT_REPLY_MSGID (21012 + 100) /* XXX */
-#ifdef MACH_MSG_TYPE_BIT
-	  const union typeword inttype =
-	  { type:
-	    { MACH_MSG_TYPE_INTEGER_T, sizeof (integer_t) * 8, 1, 1, 0, 0 }
-	  };
-#endif
 	  if (msg.head.msgh_id == IO_SELECT_REPLY_MSGID &&
 	      msg.head.msgh_size >= sizeof msg.error &&
 	      !(msg.head.msgh_bits & MACH_MSGH_BITS_COMPLEX) &&