diff --git a/Makefile.PL b/Makefile.PL
index 3b6f92c..7da0173 100755
--- a/Makefile.PL
+++ b/Makefile.PL
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ use strict;
 
 # Define metadata
 name           'Pod-Inherit';
-perl_version   '5.10.1';
+perl_version   '5.008001';
 all_from       'lib/Pod/Inherit.pm';
 
 # Specific dependencies
diff --git a/lib/Pod/Inherit.pm b/lib/Pod/Inherit.pm
index 338ecc2..e678042 100644
--- a/lib/Pod/Inherit.pm
+++ b/lib/Pod/Inherit.pm
@@ -604,7 +604,8 @@ sub create_pod {
       my $subref = $classname->can($globname);
       if ($force_inherits && !$subref) {  # forced inherits may be the ones with the methods...
         foreach my $class (@$force_inherits) {
-          $subref //= $class->can($globname);
+          $subref = $class->can($globname)
+            unless defined $subref;
         }
       }
       # Must not be a method, but some other strange beastie.