Summary of my perl5 (revision 5 version 9 subversion 5) configuration:
  Platform:
    osname=linux, osvers=2.6.18-32-splash, archname=i686-linux-thread-
+multi
    uname='linux laptop 2.6.18-32-splash #3 smp preempt mon feb 5 14:1
+2:53 local time zone must be set--s i686 amd turion(tm) 64 x2 mobile 
+technology tl-60 authenticamd gnulinux '
    config_args='-Dprefix=/home/micha/localperl -Dusethreads -des -Dus
+edevel'
    hint=recommended, useposix=true, d_sigaction=define
    useithreads=define, usemultiplicity=define
    useperlio=define, d_sfio=undef, uselargefiles=define, usesocks=und
+ef
    use64bitint=undef, use64bitall=undef, uselongdouble=undef
    usemymalloc=n, bincompat5005=undef
  Compiler:
    cc='cc', ccflags ='-D_REENTRANT -D_GNU_SOURCE -fno-strict-aliasing
+ -pipe -I/usr/local/include -D_LARGEFILE_SOURCE -D_FILE_OFFSET_BITS=6
+4',
    optimize='-O2',
    cppflags='-D_REENTRANT -D_GNU_SOURCE -fno-strict-aliasing -pipe -I
+/usr/local/include'
    ccversion='', gccversion='4.1.1 (Gentoo 4.1.1-r1)', gccosandvers='
+'
    intsize=4, longsize=4, ptrsize=4, doublesize=8, byteorder=1234
    d_longlong=define, longlongsize=8, d_longdbl=define, longdblsize=1
+2
    ivtype='long', ivsize=4, nvtype='double', nvsize=8, Off_t='off_t',
+ lseeksize=8
    alignbytes=4, prototype=define
  Linker and Libraries:
    ld='cc', ldflags =' -L/usr/local/lib'
    libpth=/usr/local/lib /lib /usr/lib
    libs=-lnsl -lndbm -lgdbm -ldb -ldl -lm -lcrypt -lutil -lpthread -l
+c
    perllibs=-lnsl -ldl -lm -lcrypt -lutil -lpthread -lc
    libc=/lib/libc-2.4.so, so=so, useshrplib=false, libperl=libperl.a
    gnulibc_version='2.4'
  Dynamic Linking:
    dlsrc=dl_dlopen.xs, dlext=so, d_dlsymun=undef, ccdlflags='-Wl,-E'
    cccdlflags='-fPIC', lddlflags='-shared -O2 -L/usr/local/lib'


Characteristics of this binary (from libperl):
  Compile-time options: MULTIPLICITY PERL_DONT_CREATE_GVSV
                        PERL_IMPLICIT_CONTEXT PERL_MALLOC_WRAP
                        USE_ITHREADS USE_LARGE_FILES USE_PERLIO
                        USE_REENTRANT_API
  Built under linux
  Compiled at Jul  9 2007 18:20:04
  @INC:
    /home/micha/localperl/lib/5.9.5/i686-linux-thread-multi
    /home/micha/localperl/lib/5.9.5
    /home/micha/localperl/lib/site_perl/5.9.5/i686-linux-thread-multi
    /home/micha/localperl/lib/site_perl/5.9.5
[download]

Good news. Could you identify the source of the leak' in the OP's code? Is it detach?