diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 508b7174b8..09f74433a7 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -165,10 +165,12 @@ dnl check for libxml2
 GST_LIBXML2_CHECK()
 
 dnl popt checks
+dnl FIXME: This test passes on popt 1.6.2, maybe earlier, but popt 1.6.2
+dnl        causes segfaults on gst_init. Write a working test if possible.
 GST_CHECK_LIBHEADER(POPT, popt, poptStrippedArgv,, popt.h, POPT_LIBS="-lpopt",
-  AC_MSG_ERROR([popt 1.6.1 or newer is required to build gstreamer. You can
+  AC_MSG_ERROR([popt 1.6.3 or newer is required to build gstreamer. You can
                 download the latest version from 
-                ftp://ftp.rpm.org/pub/rpm/dist/rpm-4.0.x/])
+                ftp://ftp.rpm.org/pub/rpm/dist/])
 )
 AC_MSG_NOTICE(Checking for POPT_TABLEEND)
 AC_COMPILE_IFELSE([
@@ -183,9 +185,9 @@ int main ()
 }
 ],, [
   dnl it failed
-  AC_MSG_ERROR([popt 1.6.1 or newer is required to build gstreamer. You can
+  AC_MSG_ERROR([popt 1.6.3 or newer is required to build gstreamer. You can
                 download the latest version from 
-                ftp://ftp.rpm.org/pub/rpm/dist/rpm-4.0.x/])
+                ftp://ftp.rpm.org/pub/rpm/dist/])
 ])
 
 dnl Check for atomic.h
diff --git a/gst/gst.c b/gst/gst.c
index 082aa8750c..6f372aea18 100644
--- a/gst/gst.c
+++ b/gst/gst.c
@@ -215,8 +215,7 @@ gst_init_check_with_popt_table (int *argc, char **argv[],
 		                const struct poptOption *popt_options)
 {
   poptContext context;
-  gint nextopt, i, j, nstrip;
-  gchar **temp;
+  gint nextopt;
   const struct poptOption *options;
   const struct poptOption options_with[] = {
     {NULL, NUL, POPT_ARG_INCLUDE_TABLE, poptHelpOptions, 				 0, "Help options:", NULL},
@@ -272,21 +271,8 @@ gst_init_check_with_popt_table (int *argc, char **argv[],
   }
   poptFreeContext (context);
 
-  /* let's do this once there are 1.6.3 popt debs out
-     *argc = poptStrippedArgv (context, *argc, *argv); */
+  *argc = poptStrippedArgv (context, *argc, *argv);
   
-  /* until then we'll do a very basic arg permutation */
-  temp = *argv + 1;
-  i = 1;
-  nstrip = 0;
-  g_assert (*argc > 0);
-  while (i++ < *argc && *temp[0]=='-') {
-    for (j = 1; j < *argc - 1; j++)
-      (*argv)[j] = (*argv)[j+1];
-    (*argv)[*argc-1] = *temp;
-    nstrip++;
-  }
-  *argc -= nstrip;
   return TRUE;
 }