psql & "unexpected EOF on client connection"

Hi Y'all.

I have been getting the dreaded "unexpected EOF on client
connection" in my system logs, but the surprising thing is that
it comes from psql (I think). I am executing psql
via a 'system' system call, and about 1 time out of 20 I get
the "unexpected EOF" message. Unfortunately, this
also causes the 'system' call to return an error, even though
all SQL code was executed properly. (After searching
postgresql.org I found out that the message normally
means that PGfinish wasn't called.)

the exact code in question is:
res=system("/usr/bin/psql <a-file-name");

Gory details available on request.

Thanks for any help,

John Gateley
gateley(at)jriver(dot)com, J. River, Inc.