zend_call_method() not invoking subclass method

hello again, ive moved on in my extension and am now perplexed by a new issue. i have declared a class MacroCommand, which has a protected method initializeMacroCommand. the MacroCommand constructor invokes $this->initializeMacroCommand(), which works IFF i instantiate MacroCommand directly. However, if i subclass it and overrride initializeMacroCommand in the child class, the MacroCommand constructor does not invoke the initializeMacroCommand method of the child, rather it invokes the initializeMacroCommand method of the base class, MacroCommand. as a simple test, i put an echo statement in the overriden initializeMacroCommand definition, in the child class, class MyMacroCommand extends MacroCommand { protected function initializeMacroCommand() { echo 'holy crap' . PHP_EOL; # <-- expect to see this when MacroCommand::__construct runs $this->addSubCommand(new SubCommand()); } } then, i put an E_NOTICE in the MacroCommand::initializeMacroCommand at the C level, /* MacroCommand */ /* {{{ proto protected void MacroCommand::initializeMacroCommand this is a hook method to be overriden by subclasses, which will be called by the constructor */ PHP_METHOD(MacroCommand, initializeMacroCommand) { php_error_docref(NULL TSRMLS_CC, E_NOTICE, "initializeMacroCommand", NULL); } and when i run the test, its clear the wrong method is being called, Notice: MacroCommand::initializeMacroCommand(): initializeMacroCommand in /Users/nnobbe/phpdownloads/php5.2/ext/pure_mvc/tests/testMacroCommandAddSubCommand.php on line 12 thoughts? -nathan