diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 8e91d76b..806f23a9 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -77,5 +77,5 @@ SUFFIXES = .cpp .cpp.rl
 
 lib_LTLIBRARIES  = libutil.la
 libutil_la_SOURCES  = $(UTIL_INCLUDE) $(UTIL_FILES)
-libutil_la_CXXFLAGS = -fPIC $(AM_CXXFLAGS)
+libutil_la_CXXFLAGS = -fPIC $(AM_CXXFLAGS) -lrt
 libutil_la_LIBADD   = $(BOOST_SYSTEM_LIB)
diff --git a/region.cpp b/region.cpp
index 4f541147..b6b89830 100644
--- a/region.cpp
+++ b/region.cpp
@@ -70,7 +70,6 @@ namespace util {
         { return; }
 }
 
-
 template struct extent<unsigned int>;
 template struct extent<double>;
 
@@ -79,7 +78,7 @@ template struct extent<double>;
  */
 
 template <typename T>
-_region<T>::_region (T _x, T _y, T _width, T _height):
+region<T>::region (T _x, T _y, T _width, T _height):
     x      (_x),
     y      (_y),
     width  (_width),
@@ -89,25 +88,37 @@ _region<T>::_region (T _x, T _y, T _width, T _height):
 
 template <typename T>
 T 
-_region<T>::area (void) const
+region<T>::area (void) const
     { return width * height; }
 
 
 template <typename T>
 bool 
-_region<T>::empty (void) const
-    { return area () == 0; }
+region<T>::empty (void) const
+    { return almost_equal (area (), 0); }
 
 
 template <typename T>
 bool
-_region<T>::operator ==(const _region& rhs) const
-    { return x      == rhs.x       &&
-             y      == rhs.y       &&
-             width  == rhs.width   &&
-             height == rhs.height; }
+region<T>::operator ==(const region& rhs) const
+    { return almost_equal (x,      rhs.x)     &&
+             almost_equal (y,      rhs.y)     &&
+             almost_equal (width,  rhs.width) &&
+             almost_equal (height, rhs.height); }
 
 
 template <typename T>
-void _region<T>::sanity (void) const
+void region<T>::sanity (void) const
     { check (width >= 0 && height >= 0); }
+
+
+namespace util {
+    template <>
+    void region<unsigned int>::sanity (void) const
+        { return; }
+}
+
+
+template struct region<unsigned int>;
+template struct region<double>;
+
diff --git a/region.hpp b/region.hpp
index cac99eeb..fd112210 100644
--- a/region.hpp
+++ b/region.hpp
@@ -46,23 +46,21 @@ namespace util {
      * A two-dimensional rectangle, with size and position.
      */
     template <typename T>
-    struct _region {
+    struct region {
         T     x,      y;
         T width, height;
 
-        _region (T _x, T _y, T _width, T _height);
+        region (T _x, T _y, T _width, T _height);
 
         T    area  (void) const;
         bool empty (void) const;
 
-        bool operator ==(const _region<T>& rhs) const;
-        bool operator !=(const _region<T>& rhs) const
+        bool operator ==(const region<T>& rhs) const;
+        bool operator !=(const region<T>& rhs) const
             { return !(*this == rhs); }
 
         void sanity (void) const;
     };
-
-    typedef _region<unsigned int> region;
 }
 
 #endif