fedora 12 ping doesn't respect /etc/nsswitch.conf?

[Kevin Martin]

Trying to ping a host that should resolv (via /etc/hosts) to an
particular IP address and via DNS to a different address, I find that
ping picks up the second address, not the first.  My /etc/nsswitch.conf
specifically lists "hosts: files dns" but an strace of the ping clearly
shows that it's not even looking at /etc/nsswitch.conf.  When did this
change?

Kevin