--- octave-hg/src/graphics.cc	2011-03-07 17:27:00.107752000 +0100
+++ octave-build/src/graphics.cc	2011-03-09 11:56:35.794371998 +0100
@@ -7768,7 +7768,7 @@ addlistener (gcf, \"position\", @{@@my_l
 
   octave_value retval;
 
-  if (args.length () == 3)
+  if (args.length () >= 3 && args.length () <= 4)
     {
       double h = args(0).double_value ();
 
@@ -7785,6 +7785,13 @@ addlistener (gcf, \"position\", @{@@my_l
                   graphics_object go = gh_manager::get_object (gh);
 
                   go.add_property_listener (pname, args(2), POSTSET);
+
+                  if (args.length () == 4)
+                    {
+                      caseless_str persistent = args(3).string_value ();
+                      if (persistent.compare ("persistent"))
+                        go.add_property_listener (pname, args(2), POSTSET);
+                    }
                 }
               else
                 error ("addlistener: invalid graphics object (= %g)",