diff --git a/bin/pt-ioprofile b/bin/pt-ioprofile
index 167c900d..23a3d59b 100755
--- a/bin/pt-ioprofile
+++ b/bin/pt-ioprofile
@@ -209,34 +209,38 @@ parse_options() {
 _parse_pod() {
    local file="$1"
 
-   cat "$file" | PO_DIR="$PO_DIR" perl -ne '
-      BEGIN { $/ = ""; }
-      next unless $_ =~ m/^=head1 OPTIONS/;
-      while ( defined(my $para = <>) ) {
-         last if $para =~ m/^=head1/;
-         chomp;
-         if ( $para =~ m/^=item --(\S+)/ ) {
-            my $opt  = $1;
-            my $file = "$ENV{PO_DIR}/$opt";
-            open my $opt_fh, ">", $file or die "Cannot open $file: $!";
-            print $opt_fh "long:$opt\n";
-            $para = <>;
+   PO_FILE="$file" PO_DIR="$PO_DIR" perl -e '
+      $/ = "";
+      my $file = $ENV{PO_FILE};
+      open my $fh, "<", $file or die "Cannot open $file: $!";
+      while ( defined(my $para = <$fh>) ) {
+         next unless $para =~ m/^=head1 OPTIONS/;
+         while ( defined(my $para = <$fh>) ) {
+            last if $para =~ m/^=head1/;
             chomp;
-            if ( $para =~ m/^[a-z ]+:/ ) {
-               map {
-                  chomp;
-                  my ($attrib, $val) = split(/: /, $_);
-                  print $opt_fh "$attrib:$val\n";
-               } split(/; /, $para);
-               $para = <>;
+            if ( $para =~ m/^=item --(\S+)/ ) {
+               my $opt  = $1;
+               my $file = "$ENV{PO_DIR}/$opt";
+               open my $opt_fh, ">", $file or die "Cannot open $file: $!";
+               print $opt_fh "long:$opt\n";
+               $para = <$fh>;
                chomp;
+               if ( $para =~ m/^[a-z ]+:/ ) {
+                  map {
+                     chomp;
+                     my ($attrib, $val) = split(/: /, $_);
+                     print $opt_fh "$attrib:$val\n";
+                  } split(/; /, $para);
+                  $para = <$fh>;
+                  chomp;
+               }
+               my ($desc) = $para =~ m/^([^?.]+)/;
+               print $opt_fh "desc:$desc.\n";
+               close $opt_fh;
             }
-            my ($desc) = $para =~ m/^([^?.]+)/;
-            print $opt_fh "desc:$desc.\n";
-            close $opt_fh;
          }
+         last;
       }
-      last;
    '
 }
 
diff --git a/bin/pt-mysql-summary b/bin/pt-mysql-summary
index c23784ba..cf77167f 100755
--- a/bin/pt-mysql-summary
+++ b/bin/pt-mysql-summary
@@ -211,34 +211,38 @@ parse_options() {
 _parse_pod() {
    local file="$1"
 
-   cat "$file" | PO_DIR="$PO_DIR" perl -ne '
-      BEGIN { $/ = ""; }
-      next unless $_ =~ m/^=head1 OPTIONS/;
-      while ( defined(my $para = <>) ) {
-         last if $para =~ m/^=head1/;
-         chomp;
-         if ( $para =~ m/^=item --(\S+)/ ) {
-            my $opt  = $1;
-            my $file = "$ENV{PO_DIR}/$opt";
-            open my $opt_fh, ">", $file or die "Cannot open $file: $!";
-            print $opt_fh "long:$opt\n";
-            $para = <>;
+   PO_FILE="$file" PO_DIR="$PO_DIR" perl -e '
+      $/ = "";
+      my $file = $ENV{PO_FILE};
+      open my $fh, "<", $file or die "Cannot open $file: $!";
+      while ( defined(my $para = <$fh>) ) {
+         next unless $para =~ m/^=head1 OPTIONS/;
+         while ( defined(my $para = <$fh>) ) {
+            last if $para =~ m/^=head1/;
             chomp;
-            if ( $para =~ m/^[a-z ]+:/ ) {
-               map {
-                  chomp;
-                  my ($attrib, $val) = split(/: /, $_);
-                  print $opt_fh "$attrib:$val\n";
-               } split(/; /, $para);
-               $para = <>;
+            if ( $para =~ m/^=item --(\S+)/ ) {
+               my $opt  = $1;
+               my $file = "$ENV{PO_DIR}/$opt";
+               open my $opt_fh, ">", $file or die "Cannot open $file: $!";
+               print $opt_fh "long:$opt\n";
+               $para = <$fh>;
                chomp;
+               if ( $para =~ m/^[a-z ]+:/ ) {
+                  map {
+                     chomp;
+                     my ($attrib, $val) = split(/: /, $_);
+                     print $opt_fh "$attrib:$val\n";
+                  } split(/; /, $para);
+                  $para = <$fh>;
+                  chomp;
+               }
+               my ($desc) = $para =~ m/^([^?.]+)/;
+               print $opt_fh "desc:$desc.\n";
+               close $opt_fh;
             }
-            my ($desc) = $para =~ m/^([^?.]+)/;
-            print $opt_fh "desc:$desc.\n";
-            close $opt_fh;
          }
+         last;
       }
-      last;
    '
 }
 
diff --git a/bin/pt-pmp b/bin/pt-pmp
index c0f8e79d..5eab882a 100755
--- a/bin/pt-pmp
+++ b/bin/pt-pmp
@@ -252,34 +252,38 @@ parse_options() {
 _parse_pod() {
    local file="$1"
 
-   cat "$file" | PO_DIR="$PO_DIR" perl -ne '
-      BEGIN { $/ = ""; }
-      next unless $_ =~ m/^=head1 OPTIONS/;
-      while ( defined(my $para = <>) ) {
-         last if $para =~ m/^=head1/;
-         chomp;
-         if ( $para =~ m/^=item --(\S+)/ ) {
-            my $opt  = $1;
-            my $file = "$ENV{PO_DIR}/$opt";
-            open my $opt_fh, ">", $file or die "Cannot open $file: $!";
-            print $opt_fh "long:$opt\n";
-            $para = <>;
+   PO_FILE="$file" PO_DIR="$PO_DIR" perl -e '
+      $/ = "";
+      my $file = $ENV{PO_FILE};
+      open my $fh, "<", $file or die "Cannot open $file: $!";
+      while ( defined(my $para = <$fh>) ) {
+         next unless $para =~ m/^=head1 OPTIONS/;
+         while ( defined(my $para = <$fh>) ) {
+            last if $para =~ m/^=head1/;
             chomp;
-            if ( $para =~ m/^[a-z ]+:/ ) {
-               map {
-                  chomp;
-                  my ($attrib, $val) = split(/: /, $_);
-                  print $opt_fh "$attrib:$val\n";
-               } split(/; /, $para);
-               $para = <>;
+            if ( $para =~ m/^=item --(\S+)/ ) {
+               my $opt  = $1;
+               my $file = "$ENV{PO_DIR}/$opt";
+               open my $opt_fh, ">", $file or die "Cannot open $file: $!";
+               print $opt_fh "long:$opt\n";
+               $para = <$fh>;
                chomp;
+               if ( $para =~ m/^[a-z ]+:/ ) {
+                  map {
+                     chomp;
+                     my ($attrib, $val) = split(/: /, $_);
+                     print $opt_fh "$attrib:$val\n";
+                  } split(/; /, $para);
+                  $para = <$fh>;
+                  chomp;
+               }
+               my ($desc) = $para =~ m/^([^?.]+)/;
+               print $opt_fh "desc:$desc.\n";
+               close $opt_fh;
             }
-            my ($desc) = $para =~ m/^([^?.]+)/;
-            print $opt_fh "desc:$desc.\n";
-            close $opt_fh;
          }
+         last;
       }
-      last;
    '
 }
 
diff --git a/bin/pt-sift b/bin/pt-sift
index b768df6d..adcfcdf7 100755
--- a/bin/pt-sift
+++ b/bin/pt-sift
@@ -250,34 +250,38 @@ parse_options() {
 _parse_pod() {
    local file="$1"
 
-   cat "$file" | PO_DIR="$PO_DIR" perl -ne '
-      BEGIN { $/ = ""; }
-      next unless $_ =~ m/^=head1 OPTIONS/;
-      while ( defined(my $para = <>) ) {
-         last if $para =~ m/^=head1/;
-         chomp;
-         if ( $para =~ m/^=item --(\S+)/ ) {
-            my $opt  = $1;
-            my $file = "$ENV{PO_DIR}/$opt";
-            open my $opt_fh, ">", $file or die "Cannot open $file: $!";
-            print $opt_fh "long:$opt\n";
-            $para = <>;
+   PO_FILE="$file" PO_DIR="$PO_DIR" perl -e '
+      $/ = "";
+      my $file = $ENV{PO_FILE};
+      open my $fh, "<", $file or die "Cannot open $file: $!";
+      while ( defined(my $para = <$fh>) ) {
+         next unless $para =~ m/^=head1 OPTIONS/;
+         while ( defined(my $para = <$fh>) ) {
+            last if $para =~ m/^=head1/;
             chomp;
-            if ( $para =~ m/^[a-z ]+:/ ) {
-               map {
-                  chomp;
-                  my ($attrib, $val) = split(/: /, $_);
-                  print $opt_fh "$attrib:$val\n";
-               } split(/; /, $para);
-               $para = <>;
+            if ( $para =~ m/^=item --(\S+)/ ) {
+               my $opt  = $1;
+               my $file = "$ENV{PO_DIR}/$opt";
+               open my $opt_fh, ">", $file or die "Cannot open $file: $!";
+               print $opt_fh "long:$opt\n";
+               $para = <$fh>;
                chomp;
+               if ( $para =~ m/^[a-z ]+:/ ) {
+                  map {
+                     chomp;
+                     my ($attrib, $val) = split(/: /, $_);
+                     print $opt_fh "$attrib:$val\n";
+                  } split(/; /, $para);
+                  $para = <$fh>;
+                  chomp;
+               }
+               my ($desc) = $para =~ m/^([^?.]+)/;
+               print $opt_fh "desc:$desc.\n";
+               close $opt_fh;
             }
-            my ($desc) = $para =~ m/^([^?.]+)/;
-            print $opt_fh "desc:$desc.\n";
-            close $opt_fh;
          }
+         last;
       }
-      last;
    '
 }
 
diff --git a/bin/pt-stalk b/bin/pt-stalk
index 826c2b70..b76bfa69 100755
--- a/bin/pt-stalk
+++ b/bin/pt-stalk
@@ -263,34 +263,38 @@ parse_options() {
 _parse_pod() {
    local file="$1"
 
-   cat "$file" | PO_DIR="$PO_DIR" perl -ne '
-      BEGIN { $/ = ""; }
-      next unless $_ =~ m/^=head1 OPTIONS/;
-      while ( defined(my $para = <>) ) {
-         last if $para =~ m/^=head1/;
-         chomp;
-         if ( $para =~ m/^=item --(\S+)/ ) {
-            my $opt  = $1;
-            my $file = "$ENV{PO_DIR}/$opt";
-            open my $opt_fh, ">", $file or die "Cannot open $file: $!";
-            print $opt_fh "long:$opt\n";
-            $para = <>;
+   PO_FILE="$file" PO_DIR="$PO_DIR" perl -e '
+      $/ = "";
+      my $file = $ENV{PO_FILE};
+      open my $fh, "<", $file or die "Cannot open $file: $!";
+      while ( defined(my $para = <$fh>) ) {
+         next unless $para =~ m/^=head1 OPTIONS/;
+         while ( defined(my $para = <$fh>) ) {
+            last if $para =~ m/^=head1/;
             chomp;
-            if ( $para =~ m/^[a-z ]+:/ ) {
-               map {
-                  chomp;
-                  my ($attrib, $val) = split(/: /, $_);
-                  print $opt_fh "$attrib:$val\n";
-               } split(/; /, $para);
-               $para = <>;
+            if ( $para =~ m/^=item --(\S+)/ ) {
+               my $opt  = $1;
+               my $file = "$ENV{PO_DIR}/$opt";
+               open my $opt_fh, ">", $file or die "Cannot open $file: $!";
+               print $opt_fh "long:$opt\n";
+               $para = <$fh>;
                chomp;
+               if ( $para =~ m/^[a-z ]+:/ ) {
+                  map {
+                     chomp;
+                     my ($attrib, $val) = split(/: /, $_);
+                     print $opt_fh "$attrib:$val\n";
+                  } split(/; /, $para);
+                  $para = <$fh>;
+                  chomp;
+               }
+               my ($desc) = $para =~ m/^([^?.]+)/;
+               print $opt_fh "desc:$desc.\n";
+               close $opt_fh;
             }
-            my ($desc) = $para =~ m/^([^?.]+)/;
-            print $opt_fh "desc:$desc.\n";
-            close $opt_fh;
          }
+         last;
       }
-      last;
    '
 }
 
diff --git a/bin/pt-summary b/bin/pt-summary
index 20b54232..9af9da7c 100755
--- a/bin/pt-summary
+++ b/bin/pt-summary
@@ -218,34 +218,38 @@ parse_options() {
 _parse_pod() {
    local file="$1"
 
-   cat "$file" | PO_DIR="$PO_DIR" perl -ne '
-      BEGIN { $/ = ""; }
-      next unless $_ =~ m/^=head1 OPTIONS/;
-      while ( defined(my $para = <>) ) {
-         last if $para =~ m/^=head1/;
-         chomp;
-         if ( $para =~ m/^=item --(\S+)/ ) {
-            my $opt  = $1;
-            my $file = "$ENV{PO_DIR}/$opt";
-            open my $opt_fh, ">", $file or die "Cannot open $file: $!";
-            print $opt_fh "long:$opt\n";
-            $para = <>;
+   PO_FILE="$file" PO_DIR="$PO_DIR" perl -e '
+      $/ = "";
+      my $file = $ENV{PO_FILE};
+      open my $fh, "<", $file or die "Cannot open $file: $!";
+      while ( defined(my $para = <$fh>) ) {
+         next unless $para =~ m/^=head1 OPTIONS/;
+         while ( defined(my $para = <$fh>) ) {
+            last if $para =~ m/^=head1/;
             chomp;
-            if ( $para =~ m/^[a-z ]+:/ ) {
-               map {
-                  chomp;
-                  my ($attrib, $val) = split(/: /, $_);
-                  print $opt_fh "$attrib:$val\n";
-               } split(/; /, $para);
-               $para = <>;
+            if ( $para =~ m/^=item --(\S+)/ ) {
+               my $opt  = $1;
+               my $file = "$ENV{PO_DIR}/$opt";
+               open my $opt_fh, ">", $file or die "Cannot open $file: $!";
+               print $opt_fh "long:$opt\n";
+               $para = <$fh>;
                chomp;
+               if ( $para =~ m/^[a-z ]+:/ ) {
+                  map {
+                     chomp;
+                     my ($attrib, $val) = split(/: /, $_);
+                     print $opt_fh "$attrib:$val\n";
+                  } split(/; /, $para);
+                  $para = <$fh>;
+                  chomp;
+               }
+               my ($desc) = $para =~ m/^([^?.]+)/;
+               print $opt_fh "desc:$desc.\n";
+               close $opt_fh;
             }
-            my ($desc) = $para =~ m/^([^?.]+)/;
-            print $opt_fh "desc:$desc.\n";
-            close $opt_fh;
          }
+         last;
       }
-      last;
    '
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/bash/parse_options.sh b/lib/bash/parse_options.sh
index c2dbcce5..76b94c5d 100644
--- a/lib/bash/parse_options.sh
+++ b/lib/bash/parse_options.sh
@@ -230,34 +230,38 @@ _parse_pod() {
    #   default=foo
    # That's the spec for --string-opt2.  Each line is a key:value pair
    # from the option's POD line like "type: string; default: foo".
-   cat "$file" | PO_DIR="$PO_DIR" perl -ne '
-      BEGIN { $/ = ""; }
-      next unless $_ =~ m/^=head1 OPTIONS/;
-      while ( defined(my $para = <>) ) {
-         last if $para =~ m/^=head1/;
-         chomp;
-         if ( $para =~ m/^=item --(\S+)/ ) {
-            my $opt  = $1;
-            my $file = "$ENV{PO_DIR}/$opt";
-            open my $opt_fh, ">", $file or die "Cannot open $file: $!";
-            print $opt_fh "long:$opt\n";
-            $para = <>;
+   PO_FILE="$file" PO_DIR="$PO_DIR" perl -e '
+      $/ = "";
+      my $file = $ENV{PO_FILE};
+      open my $fh, "<", $file or die "Cannot open $file: $!";
+      while ( defined(my $para = <$fh>) ) {
+         next unless $para =~ m/^=head1 OPTIONS/;
+         while ( defined(my $para = <$fh>) ) {
+            last if $para =~ m/^=head1/;
             chomp;
-            if ( $para =~ m/^[a-z ]+:/ ) {
-               map {
-                  chomp;
-                  my ($attrib, $val) = split(/: /, $_);
-                  print $opt_fh "$attrib:$val\n";
-               } split(/; /, $para);
-               $para = <>;
+            if ( $para =~ m/^=item --(\S+)/ ) {
+               my $opt  = $1;
+               my $file = "$ENV{PO_DIR}/$opt";
+               open my $opt_fh, ">", $file or die "Cannot open $file: $!";
+               print $opt_fh "long:$opt\n";
+               $para = <$fh>;
                chomp;
+               if ( $para =~ m/^[a-z ]+:/ ) {
+                  map {
+                     chomp;
+                     my ($attrib, $val) = split(/: /, $_);
+                     print $opt_fh "$attrib:$val\n";
+                  } split(/; /, $para);
+                  $para = <$fh>;
+                  chomp;
+               }
+               my ($desc) = $para =~ m/^([^?.]+)/;
+               print $opt_fh "desc:$desc.\n";
+               close $opt_fh;
             }
-            my ($desc) = $para =~ m/^([^?.]+)/;
-            print $opt_fh "desc:$desc.\n";
-            close $opt_fh;
          }
+         last;
       }
-      last;
    '
 }