diff --git a/bindings/java/src/org/hyperic/sigar/test/TestPTQL.java b/bindings/java/src/org/hyperic/sigar/test/TestPTQL.java
index 0e1bf36e..e8cba8c1 100644
--- a/bindings/java/src/org/hyperic/sigar/test/TestPTQL.java
+++ b/bindings/java/src/org/hyperic/sigar/test/TestPTQL.java
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ public class TestPTQL extends SigarTestCase {
         "Port.tcp.eq=8080,Cred.Uid.eq=1003", //dougm owned jboss port
         "Pid.PidFile.eq=pid.file",
         "Pid.Pid.eq=1",
+        "Pid.Pid.eq=$$",
         "Pid.Service.eq=Eventlog",
         "Pid.Service.eq=NOSUCHSERVICE",
         "Pid.Service.eq=Hyperic HQ Agent",
diff --git a/src/sigar_ptql.c b/src/sigar_ptql.c
index c15f0757..651c962e 100644
--- a/src/sigar_ptql.c
+++ b/src/sigar_ptql.c
@@ -710,23 +710,6 @@ static int ptql_pid_match(sigar_t *sigar,
     return (pid == match_pid) ? SIGAR_OK : !SIGAR_OK;
 }
 
-static int sigar_ptql_pid_get(sigar_t *sigar,
-                              sigar_ptql_query_t *query,
-                              sigar_pid_t *query_pid)
-{
-    ptql_branch_t *branch;
-
-    if (query->branches.number != 0) {
-        return ERANGE;
-    }
-    branch = &query->branches.data[0];
-    if (!(branch->op_flags & PTQL_OP_FLAG_PID)) {
-        return EINVAL;
-    }
-
-    return ptql_pid_get(sigar, branch, query_pid);
-}
-
 static int ptql_args_branch_init(ptql_parse_branch_t *parsed,
                                  ptql_branch_t *branch)
 {
@@ -1369,9 +1352,17 @@ SIGAR_DECLARE(int) sigar_ptql_query_find_process(sigar_t *sigar,
                                                  sigar_pid_t *pid)
 {
     sigar_proc_list_t pids;
-    int status = sigar_proc_list_get(sigar, &pids);
+    int status;
     int i, matches=0;
 
+    if ((query->branches.number == 1) &&
+        (query->branches.data[0].op_flags & PTQL_OP_FLAG_PID))
+    {
+        /* avoid scanning the process list for single Pid.* queries */
+        return ptql_pid_get(sigar, &query->branches.data[0], pid);
+    }
+
+    status = sigar_proc_list_get(sigar, &pids);
     if (status != SIGAR_OK) {
         return status;
     }