Hi Rich, just another idea for a workaround until you get to 11g - you could try creating a SQL Profile, or a Stored Outline to force the CBO to always choose the "good" plan - as long as it works okay for all the commonly used bind variable values. Regards, Brandon Privileged/Confidential Information may be contained in this message or attachments hereto. Please advise immediately if you or your employer do not consent to Internet email for messages of this kind. Opinions, conclusions and other information in this message that do not relate to the official business of this company shall be understood as neither given nor endorsed by it. -- //www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l