New error with backslashes in filenames

[Marty <martyb@ix.netcom.com>]

I get the following new error on my recently upgraded Etch system:

$ touch "test\file"
$ md5sum "test\file"
\d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e  test\\file

Note the leading backslash.  This is some thing I haven't seen before, and it 
breaks some of my maintenance scripts which don't have control over input, 
including backslashes in filenames.  I reproduced it on another etch system, 
which tends to eliminate my configuration but not completely, since my machines 
tend to be clones of each other.

I don't know when it appeared, or whether it's Etch-related, and I have no idea 
how to track it down.  Any help is appreciated.  If it's a bug, then some 
information about how or where to report it is also appreciated.