diff --git a/cde/programs/dticon/Imakefile b/cde/programs/dticon/Imakefile
index 1f147e843..898a1357f 100644
--- a/cde/programs/dticon/Imakefile
+++ b/cde/programs/dticon/Imakefile
@@ -53,6 +53,11 @@ SYS_LIBRARIES = -lm -ldl -lgen
 EXTRA_DEFINES =
 #endif
 
+XCOMM On Linux once you link against a C++ library the whole program
+XCOMM has to be linked with the C++ linker
+#if defined(LinuxDistribution)
+CCLINK = $(CXX)
+#endif
 
 SRCS =  dtIconShell.c   event.c         fileIO.c \
         fileIODialog.c  globals.c       graphics.c \
diff --git a/cde/programs/dticon/constants.h b/cde/programs/dticon/constants.h
index a2972ed37..9b4be16c8 100644
--- a/cde/programs/dticon/constants.h
+++ b/cde/programs/dticon/constants.h
@@ -97,8 +97,10 @@ typedef struct {
 #define min(a, b)	((a < b) ? a : b)
 #define max(a, b)	((a > b) ? a : b)
 #ifndef abs
+#if !defined(linux)
 #define abs(a)		(((a) < 0) ? -(a) : (a))
 #endif
+#endif
 #define mag(a,b)	((a-b) < 0 ? (b-a) : (a-b))
 
 #define DARK		0
diff --git a/cde/programs/localized/util/merge.c b/cde/programs/localized/util/merge.c
index 8a31625a3..7e247d62b 100644
--- a/cde/programs/localized/util/merge.c
+++ b/cde/programs/localized/util/merge.c
@@ -247,7 +247,13 @@ void cat_open ()
         sprintf(line,"/usr/bin/gencat ./.dt_pfile.cat %s",pfile);
 #endif
         if ( system(line) != 0 )
+	{
+	/* Utter Linux HACK, it seems the return value of GNU gencat is != 0
+	   even on success */
+#if !defined(linux)
            fatal("primary .tmsg file would not gencat\n",0,9);
+#endif
+	}
     }
 
     catfile[0] =  catopen("./.dt_pfile.cat",0);
@@ -260,7 +266,14 @@ void cat_open ()
         sprintf(line,"/usr/bin/gencat ./.dt_dfile.cat %s",dfile);
 #endif
         if ( system(line) != 0 )
+	{
+	/* Utter Linux HACK, it seems the return value of GNU gencat is != 0
+	   even on success */
+#if !defined(linux)
            fatal("default .tmsg file would not gencat\n",0,9);
+#endif
+	}
+
     }
 
     catfile[1] = catopen("./.dt_dfile.cat",0);