iptables-restore hang during system boot

-------- SUMMARY --------

OS:
* Fedora Core 3 (kernel 2.6)

Files involved:
* /etc/sysconfig/iptables
* /sbin/iptables-restore

Issues:
* iptables setup during system boot hangs
* nat table

-------- THE STORY --------

I have recompiled the kernel disabling IP routing. Now iptables lacks
the nat table. iptables-save's output lists no nat table:

# Generated by iptables-save v1.2.11 on Tue May 17 09:17:49 2005
*mangle
:PREROUTING ACCEPT [13:11993]
:INPUT ACCEPT [13:11993]
:FORWARD ACCEPT [0:0]
:OUTPUT ACCEPT [61:382696]
:POSTROUTING ACCEPT [6:11120]
[...rules...]
COMMIT
# Completed on Tue May 17 09:17:49 2005
# Generated by iptables-save v1.2.11 on Tue May 17 09:17:49 2005
*filter
:INPUT DROP [6:468]
:FORWARD DROP [0:0]
:OUTPUT DROP [55:371576]
[...rules...]
COMMIT
# Completed on Tue May 17 09:17:49 2005

This is fine.

-------- THE PROBLEM --------

But now the system hangs during boot on "Starting firewall...". This is
when the script /etc/init.d/iptables executes iptables-restore trying to
read firewall rules from /etc/sysconfig/iptables (where iptables-save's
output is stored). It recovers, in fact, but after 20 minutes or so. I
didn't watch that long and don't know what happens. Then the firewall
seems to be properly configured.

-------- DIAGNOSTICS AND ATTEMPTS TO SOLVE --------

I used the --verbose option to iptables-restore during system boot:

# Generated by iptables-save v1.2.11 on Tue May 17 09:17:49 2005
Flushing chain `PREROUTING'
Flushing chain `INPUT'
Flushing chain `FORWARD'
Flushing chain `OUTPUT'
Flushing chain `POSTROUTING'
# Completed on Tue May 17 09:17:49 2005
# Generated by iptables-save v1.2.11 on Tue May 17 09:17:49 2005
Flushing chain `INPUT'
Flushing chain `FORWARD'
Flushing chain `OUTPUT'
[Hang here, expected this line:]
# Completed on Tue May 17 09:17:49 2005

After system is booted the same script (/etc/init.d/iptables start)
seems to work fine.

-------- HELP NEEDED --------

Any ideas on what's going on in iptables-restore then? I guess I must be
having something misconfigured, but what?

Thanks!

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