BEGIN {
	# this hack allows us to "use bytes" or fake it for older (pre-5.6.1)
	# versions of Perl (thanks to Liz from PerlMonks):
	eval { require bytes };

	if ($@)
	{
		# couldn't find it, but pretend we did anyway:
		$INC{'bytes.pm'} = 1;

		# 5.005_03 doesn't inherit UNIVERSAL::unimport:
		eval "sub bytes::unimport { return 1 }";
	}
}