my local pkgsrc build environment seems borked on -current

[yancm%SDF.ORG@localhost]

To begin, I suspect this is a local problem rather than global...

I have an i386 NetBSD VM that I use to play around with. It's lineage
began with NetBSD 5.0 several years ago. When I updated from 6.0 to
-current about 6 months ago, I noted some pkgsrc build strangeness, but
was able to work around it until recently.

When I try to build Perl 5, I receive the following. (I had also seen
similar behavior when trying to build other packages, but I pretty much
deleted all my packages thinking that starting from a less convoluted
state might help...)

Running Makefile.PL in cpan/CPANPLUS
../../miniperl -I../../lib Makefile.PL INSTALLDIRS=perl
INSTALLMAN1DIR=none INSTALLMAN3DIR=none PERL_CORE=1 LIBPERL_A=libperl.so
Writing Makefile for CPANPLUS
Makefile out-of-date with respect to Makefile.PL
Cleaning current config before rebuilding Makefile...
make -f Makefile.old clean > /dev/null 2>&1
../../miniperl "-I../../lib" "-I../../lib" Makefile.PL "INSTALLDIRS=perl"
"INSTALLMAN1DIR=none" "INSTALLMAN3DIR=none" "PERL_CORE=1"
"LIBPERL_A=libperl.so"
Writing Makefile for CPANPLUS
==> Your Makefile has been rebuilt. <==
==> Please rerun the make command.  <==
false
*** Error code 1

Stop.
make[1]: stopped in /usr/pkgsrc/lang/perl5/work/perl-5.18.1/cpan/CPANPLUS
 /usr/bin/make config PERL_CORE=1 LIBPERL_A=libperl.so failed, continuing
anyway...
Making all in cpan/CPANPLUS
 /usr/bin/make all PERL_CORE=1 LIBPERL_A=libperl.so
Makefile out-of-date with respect to Makefile.PL
Cleaning current config before rebuilding Makefile...
make -f Makefile.old clean > /dev/null 2>&1
../../miniperl "-I../../lib" "-I../../lib" Makefile.PL "INSTALLDIRS=perl"
"INSTALLMAN1DIR=none" "INSTALLMAN3DIR=none" "PERL_CORE=1"
"LIBPERL_A=libperl.so"
Writing Makefile for CPANPLUS
==> Your Makefile has been rebuilt. <==
==> Please rerun the make command.  <==
false
*** Error code 1

Stop.
make[1]: stopped in /usr/pkgsrc/lang/perl5/work/perl-5.18.1/cpan/CPANPLUS
Unsuccessful make(cpan/CPANPLUS): code=256 at make_ext.pl line 490.
*** Error code 25

Stop.
make: stopped in /usr/pkgsrc/lang/perl5/work/perl-5.18.1
*** Error code 1

Stop.
make[1]: stopped in /usr/pkgsrc/lang/perl5
*** Error code 1

Stop.
make: stopped in /usr/pkgsrc/lang/perl5

Any pointers appreciated! I would even be willing to wipe out all my
packages if that's required to get back to a clean state...I do not know
how to do that...

thanks,
gene