diff --git a/mc.changes b/mc.changes
index 2d586ff..9644984 100644
--- a/mc.changes
+++ b/mc.changes
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+-------------------------------------------------------------------
+Fri Nov 15 07:31:20 UTC 2013 - dnh@opensuse.org
+
+- four argument ("seps") gawk split() is new in 4.0.0, so explicitly
+  require a gawk new enough
+
 -------------------------------------------------------------------
 Tue Nov 12 21:09:36 UTC 2013 - dnh@opensuse.org
 
diff --git a/mc.spec b/mc.spec
index c55e530..4cf9864 100644
--- a/mc.spec
+++ b/mc.spec
@@ -42,8 +42,16 @@ Patch16:        mc-esc-seq.patch
 Patch17:        mc-rpm.patch
 Patch20:        mc-f-keys.patch
 Patch21:        mc-extfs-helpers-deb.patch
-# mc-extfs-helpers-urar.patch dnh@opensuse.org - Fix urar extfs failing on files with spaces (bnc#849082)
+
+# add mc-extfs-helpers-urar.patch (by dnh@opensuse.org) - Fix urar
+# extfs failing on files with spaces (bnc#849082), needs gawk >= 4.0.0
+# and is not portable to other awks, so expect upstream changes. As of
+# now (Fri Nov 15 09:43:39 2013), upstream uses a "index by the CRC
+# field" approach as mentioned in bnc#849082. I prefer the gawk >=
+# 4.0.0 version with the "seps" fourth argument to the "split"
+# function. YOpinionMV ;)
 Patch22:        mc-extfs-helpers-urar.patch
+
 #debian fixes for vfs
 Patch24:        02_ignore_ftp_chmod_error.patch
 #Debian fixes
@@ -81,6 +89,7 @@ BuildRequires:  xdg-utils
 BuildRequires:  xorg-x11-devel
 BuildRequires:  xz
 Requires(pre):  permissions
+Requires:       gawk >= 4.0.0
 Recommends:     %{name}-lang = %{version}
 
 %description