PHP and Oracle Zombie processes

When I execute an sql statement against my Oracle database from PHP, I create an oracle <zombie> process. This eventually hits a "number of zombie process" limit and prevents my page from executing. The queries work properly (except for the zombie problem). Here is a sample that creates the zombie process: putenv("ORACLE_HOME=/h/app/oracle/product/8.1.6"); putenv("ORACLE_SID=dbase_name"); putenv("TNS_ADMIN=/h/app/oracle/product/8.1.6/network/admin"); // thought this might help the zombie problem $conn=OCILogon("get_rid_of" , "zombie"); $sql_get_info="SELECT OppID, OppTitle FROM TEST WHERE OppID=4"; $stmt = OCIParse($conn,$sql_get_info); OCIExecute($stmt); OCIFetch($stmt)); $valid_opp_id = OCIResult($stmt, "OPPID"); $valid_opp_title = OCIResult($stmt, "OPPTITLE"); OCIFreeStatement($stmt); ///// using a separate query to get the clob...... $clob_field="OPPTEXT"; // this field in UPPPER CASE $sql="SELECT $clob_field from TEST WHERE OppID=$oid"; $stmt = OCIParse($conn, $sql); $clob_text = OCINewDescriptor($conn,OCI_D_LOB); OCIDefineByName($stmt, $clob_field, &$clob_text); OCIExecute($stmt); OCIFetch($stmt); $valid_text=$clob_text->load(); $clob_text->free(); OCIFreeStatement($stmt); Here is how I configured PHP 4.0.3pl1 (this is from phpinfo();) : ./configure --with-apxs=/usr/local/apache/bin/apxs --with-config-file-path=/etc/httpd --with-oracle=/ora8/m01/app/oracle/product/8.1.6 I also added OCI8 support via.. --with-oci8=/ora8/m01/app/oracle/product/8.1.6 ... phpinfo(); states oci8 support is "enabled". I did --enable-sigchild but I don't see it showing in the phpinfo(); ??? I am using: Oracle 8.1.6, Apache 1.3.12 , RedHat 6.0 - all on one server. Any ideas on what I might be doing wrong? Am I missing something? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Bob