diff --git a/mysql-test/lib/mtr_process.pl b/mysql-test/lib/mtr_process.pl
index 25bbce84ab3..a42627c93cd 100644
--- a/mysql-test/lib/mtr_process.pl
+++ b/mysql-test/lib/mtr_process.pl
@@ -24,7 +24,22 @@ use Errno;
 use My::Platform;
 use if IS_WINDOWS, "Net::Ping";
 
-
+# Ancient perl might not have port_number method for Net::Ping.
+# Check it and use fallback to connect() if it is not present.
+BEGIN 
+{
+  my $use_netping= 0;
+  if (IS_WINDOWS)
+  {
+    my $ping = Net::Ping->new();
+    if ($ping->can("port_number"))
+    {
+      $use_netping= 1;
+    }
+  }
+  eval 'sub USE_NETPING { $use_netping }';
+}
+  
 sub sleep_until_file_created ($$$);
 sub mtr_ping_port ($);
 
@@ -33,22 +48,21 @@ sub mtr_ping_port ($) {
 
   mtr_verbose("mtr_ping_port: $port");
 
-  if (IS_WINDOWS)
+  if (IS_WINDOWS && USE_NETPING)
   {
     # Under Windows, connect to a port that is not open is slow
     # It takes ~1sec. Net::Ping with small timeout is much faster.
     my $ping = Net::Ping->new();
     $ping->port_number($port);
-   
     if ($ping->ping("localhost",0.1))
     {
-       mtr_verbose("USED");
-	   return 1;
+      mtr_verbose("USED");
+      return 1;
     }
     else
     {
-       mtr_verbose("FREE");
-	   return 0;
+      mtr_verbose("FREE");
+      return 0;
     }
   }