=== modified file 'init/event_operator.c'
--- init/event_operator.c	2010-11-19 14:34:51 +0000
+++ init/event_operator.c	2012-08-10 20:16:45 +0000
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@
 		 * matches and no such variable.
 		 */
 		if (! (eenv && *eenv))
-			return FALSE;
+			return negate;
 
 		/* Grab the value out by looking for the equals, we don't
 		 * care about the name if we're positional and we've already

=== modified file 'init/tests/test_event_operator.c'
--- init/tests/test_event_operator.c	2010-02-04 20:08:59 +0000
+++ init/tests/test_event_operator.c	2012-08-10 20:16:17 +0000
@@ -763,6 +763,20 @@
 	TEST_FALSE (event_operator_match (oper, event, NULL));
 
 
+	/* Check that unknown variable names match when negated. */
+	TEST_FEATURE ("with unknown variable in operator");
+	event->env = env1;
+	event->env[0] = "FRODO=foo";
+	event->env[1] = "BILBO=bar";
+	event->env[2] = NULL;
+
+	oper->env = env2;
+	oper->env[0] = "MERRY!=baz";
+	oper->env[1] = NULL;
+
+	TEST_TRUE (event_operator_match (oper, event, NULL));
+
+
 	/* Check that the operator environment may be globs. */
 	TEST_FEATURE ("with globs in operator environment");
 	event->env = env1;