nslookup with Bind9 and absolutes

Hey all I have a strange thing going on with my boxes any box that I
have installed Bind 9.x.x on when I try to do a nslookup at the root
level I can't get a response can anyone help, ie. I try the following:

[root@vns1.noc /] 52# nslookup -sil
> server a.root-servers.net
Default server: a.root-servers.net
Address: 198.41.0.4#53
> com.
Server: a.root-servers.net
Address: 198.41.0.4#53

Non-authoritative answer:
*** Can't find com.: No answer
>

Now on my box that I have Bind 8.2.3 installed on I can do this and it
works, i.e. like so:

[root@charon /root] 53# nslookup
Default Server: my.server.net
Address: 1.1.1.1

> server a.root-servers.net
Default Server: a.root-servers.net
Address: 198.41.0.4

> com.
Server: a.root-servers.net
Address: 198.41.0.4

Name: com
Served by:
- A.GTLD-SERVERS.NET
2001:503:a83e::2:30, 192.5.6.30
com
- G.GTLD-SERVERS.NET
192.42.93.30
com
- H.GTLD-SERVERS.NET
192.54.112.30
com
- C.GTLD-SERVERS.NET
192.26.92.30
com
- I.GTLD-SERVERS.NET
192.43.172.30
com
- B.GTLD-SERVERS.NET
2001:503:231d::2:30, 192.33.14.30
com
- D.GTLD-SERVERS.NET
192.31.80.30
com
- L.GTLD-SERVERS.NET
192.41.162.30
com
- F.GTLD-SERVERS.NET
192.35.51.30
com
- J.GTLD-SERVERS.NET
192.48.79.30
com


>

--
Stephen T. Williams