diff --git a/ghc/driver/split/ghc-split.lprl b/ghc/driver/split/ghc-split.lprl
index 00c116e314edbc98317a9897b3e2916b76e6b008..3afe3f5b85e4084133de81d193a91b853f93b8c2 100644
--- a/ghc/driver/split/ghc-split.lprl
+++ b/ghc/driver/split/ghc-split.lprl
@@ -24,14 +24,10 @@ sub inject_split_markers {
 	$_ = <TMPI>;
     }
     print TMPO "__STG_SPLIT_MARKER(1)\n";
-    print TMPO $_ if ! /^\s*\/\* SPLIT \*\/\s*$/;
-
-	# Have to be a bit careful detecting /* SPLIT */ comments
-	# since a progam may use a string containing "/* SPLIT */"
-	# We check that there is nothing else on the line
+    print TMPO $_ if ! /\/\* SPLIT \*\//;
 
     while (<TMPI>) {
-	if (/^\s*\/\* SPLIT \*\/\s*$/) {
+	if (/\/\* SPLIT \*\//) {
 	    $marker_no++;
 	    print TMPO "__STG_SPLIT_MARKER($marker_no)\n";
  	    next;
@@ -58,7 +54,7 @@ sub split_asm_file {
 
     %LocalConstant = (); # we have to subvert C compiler's commoning-up of constants...
 
-    $s_stuff = &ReadTMPIUpToAMarker( '', $octr );
+    $s_stuff = &ReadTMPIUpToAMarker( '' );
     # that first stuff is a prologue for all .s outputs
     $prologue_stuff = &process_asm_block ( $s_stuff );
     # $_ already has some of the next stuff in it...
@@ -70,14 +66,14 @@ sub split_asm_file {
     $prologue_stuff =~ s|"/tmp/ghc\d+\.c"|"$ifile_root\.hc"|g;
 
     while ( $_ ne '' ) { # not EOF
-	$octr++;
 
 	# grab and de-mangle a section of the .s file...
-	$s_stuff = &ReadTMPIUpToAMarker ( $_, $octr );
+	$s_stuff = &ReadTMPIUpToAMarker ( $_ );
 	$this_piece = &process_asm_block ( $s_stuff );
 
 	# output to a file of its own
 	# open a new output file...
+	$octr++;
 	$ofname = "${Tmp_prefix}__${octr}.s";
 	open(OUTF, "> $ofname") || die "$Pgm: can't open output file: $ofname\n";
 
@@ -128,7 +124,7 @@ sub collectExports_mips { # Note: MIPS only
 }
 
 sub ReadTMPIUpToAMarker {
-    local($str, $count) = @_; # already read bits
+    local($str) = @_; # already read bits
 
     
     for ( $_ = <TMPI>; $_ ne '' && ! /_?__stg_split_marker/; $_ = <TMPI> ) {
@@ -158,7 +154,7 @@ sub ReadTMPIUpToAMarker {
 	$_ = <TMPI>;
     }
 
-    print STDERR "### BLOCK:$count:\n$str" if $Dump_asm_splitting_info;
+    print STDERR "### BLOCK:\n$str" if $Dump_asm_splitting_info;
 
     # return str
     $str;
@@ -199,7 +195,7 @@ sub process_asm_block_sparc {
     $str =~ s/^\.stabs "(ghc\d+\.c)"/.stabs "$ifile_root.hc"/g; # HACK HACK
 
     # remove/record any literal constants defined here
-    while ( $str =~ /(\t\.align .\n(LC\d+):\n(\t\.ascii.*\n)+)/ ) {
+    while ( $str =~ /(\t\.align .\n(LC\d+):\n\t\.ascii.*\n)/ ) {
 	local($label) = $2;
 	local($body)  = $1;
 
@@ -208,7 +204,7 @@ sub process_asm_block_sparc {
 
 	$LocalConstant{$label} = $body;
 	
-	$str =~ s/\t\.align .\nLC\d+:\n(\t\.ascii.*\n)+//;
+	$str =~ s/\t\.align .\nLC\d+:\n\t\.ascii.*\n//;
     }
 
     # inject definitions for any local constants now used herein