Index: /tmp/exechelp-posix.c
===================================================================
--- /tmp/exechelp-posix.c
+++ /tmp/exechelp-posix.c
@@ -76,44 +76,62 @@
 int
 get_max_fds (void)
 {
-  int max_fds = -1;
+  int max_fds = INT32_MAX;
+
+#if 0
+fprintf(stderr,"start:\t\tmax_fds:%10d\n", max_fds);
+#endif
 #ifdef HAVE_GETRLIMIT
   struct rlimit rl;
 
 # ifdef RLIMIT_NOFILE
   if (!getrlimit (RLIMIT_NOFILE, &rl))
     max_fds = rl.rlim_max;
+#if 0
+fprintf(stderr,"RLIMIT_NOFILE:\tmax_fds:%10d\n", max_fds);
+#endif
 # endif
 
 # ifdef RLIMIT_OFILE
-  if (max_fds == -1 && !getrlimit (RLIMIT_OFILE, &rl))
-    max_fds = rl.rlim_max;
+  if (!getrlimit (RLIMIT_OFILE, &rl))
+    max_fds = (rl.rlim_max < max_fds) ? rl.rlim_max : max_fds;
+#if 0
+fprintf(stderr,"RLIMIT_OFILE:\tmax_fds:%10d\n", max_fds);
+#endif
 
 # endif
 #endif /*HAVE_GETRLIMIT*/
 
 #ifdef _SC_OPEN_MAX
-  if (max_fds == -1)
     {
       long int scres = sysconf (_SC_OPEN_MAX);
       if (scres >= 0)
-        max_fds = scres;
+	    max_fds = (scres < max_fds) ? scres : max_fds;
+#if 0
+fprintf(stderr,"_SC_OPEN_MAX:\tmax_fds:%10d\n", max_fds);
+#endif
     }
 #endif
 
 #ifdef _POSIX_OPEN_MAX
-  if (max_fds == -1)
-    max_fds = _POSIX_OPEN_MAX;
+    max_fds = (_POSIX_OPEN_MAX < max_fds) ? _POSIX_OPEN_MAX : max_fds;
+#if 0
+fprintf(stderr,"_POSIX_OPEN_MAX:max_fds:%10d\n", max_fds);
+#endif
 #endif
 
 #ifdef OPEN_MAX
-  if (max_fds == -1)
-    max_fds = OPEN_MAX;
+    max_fds = (OPEN_MAX < max_fds) ? OPEN_MAX : max_fds;
+#if 0
+fprintf(stderr,"OPEN_MAX:\tmax_fds:%10d\n", max_fds);
+#endif
 #endif
 
-  if (max_fds == -1)
-    max_fds = 256;  /* Arbitrary limit.  */
+    max_fds = (max_fds > 256) ? 256 : max_fds;
 
+#if 0
+fprintf(stderr,"return:\t\tmax_fds:%10d\n", max_fds);
+#endif
   return max_fds;
 }