diff --git a/ez_setup.py b/ez_setup.py
index 6473c14..d24e845 100644
--- a/ez_setup.py
+++ b/ez_setup.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ the appropriate options to ``use_setuptools()``.
 This file can also be run as a script to install or upgrade setuptools.
 """
 import sys
-DEFAULT_VERSION = "0.6c7"
+DEFAULT_VERSION = "0.6c9"
 DEFAULT_URL     = "http://pypi.python.org/packages/%s/s/setuptools/" % sys.version[:3]
 
 md5_data = {
@@ -45,13 +45,21 @@ md5_data = {
     'setuptools-0.6c7-py2.3.egg': '209fdf9adc3a615e5115b725658e13e2',
     'setuptools-0.6c7-py2.4.egg': '5a8f954807d46a0fb67cf1f26c55a82e',
     'setuptools-0.6c7-py2.5.egg': '45d2ad28f9750e7434111fde831e8372',
+    'setuptools-0.6c8-py2.3.egg': '50759d29b349db8cfd807ba8303f1902',
+    'setuptools-0.6c8-py2.4.egg': 'cba38d74f7d483c06e9daa6070cce6de',
+    'setuptools-0.6c8-py2.5.egg': '1721747ee329dc150590a58b3e1ac95b',
+    'setuptools-0.6c9-py2.3.egg': 'a83c4020414807b496e4cfbe08507c03',
+    'setuptools-0.6c9-py2.4.egg': '260a2be2e5388d66bdaee06abec6342a',
+    'setuptools-0.6c9-py2.5.egg': 'fe67c3e5a17b12c0e7c541b7ea43a8e6',
+    'setuptools-0.6c9-py2.6.egg': 'ca37b1ff16fa2ede6e19383e7b59245a',
 }
 
 import sys, os
+try: from hashlib import md5
+except ImportError: from md5 import md5
 
 def _validate_md5(egg_name, data):
     if egg_name in md5_data:
-        from md5 import md5
         digest = md5(data).hexdigest()
         if digest != md5_data[egg_name]:
             print >>sys.stderr, (
@@ -61,7 +69,6 @@ def _validate_md5(egg_name, data):
             sys.exit(2)
     return data
 
-
 def use_setuptools(
     version=DEFAULT_VERSION, download_base=DEFAULT_URL, to_dir=os.curdir,
     download_delay=15
@@ -77,31 +84,31 @@ def use_setuptools(
     this routine will print a message to ``sys.stderr`` and raise SystemExit in
     an attempt to abort the calling script.
     """
-    try:
-        import setuptools
-        if setuptools.__version__ == '0.0.1':
-            print >>sys.stderr, (
-            "You have an obsolete version of setuptools installed.  Please\n"
-            "remove it from your system entirely before rerunning this script."
-            )
-            sys.exit(2)
-    except ImportError:
+    was_imported = 'pkg_resources' in sys.modules or 'setuptools' in sys.modules
+    def do_download():
         egg = download_setuptools(version, download_base, to_dir, download_delay)
         sys.path.insert(0, egg)
         import setuptools; setuptools.bootstrap_install_from = egg
-
-    import pkg_resources
     try:
-        pkg_resources.require("setuptools>="+version)
-
+        import pkg_resources
+    except ImportError:
+        return do_download()       
+    try:
+        pkg_resources.require("setuptools>="+version); return
     except pkg_resources.VersionConflict, e:
-        # XXX could we install in a subprocess here?
-        print >>sys.stderr, (
+        if was_imported:
+            print >>sys.stderr, (
             "The required version of setuptools (>=%s) is not available, and\n"
             "can't be installed while this script is running. Please install\n"
-            " a more recent version first.\n\n(Currently using %r)"
-        ) % (version, e.args[0])
-        sys.exit(2)
+            " a more recent version first, using 'easy_install -U setuptools'."
+            "\n\n(Currently using %r)"
+            ) % (version, e.args[0])
+            sys.exit(2)
+        else:
+            del pkg_resources, sys.modules['pkg_resources']    # reload ok
+            return do_download()
+    except pkg_resources.DistributionNotFound:
+        return do_download()
 
 def download_setuptools(
     version=DEFAULT_VERSION, download_base=DEFAULT_URL, to_dir=os.curdir,
@@ -150,9 +157,43 @@ and place it in this directory before rerunning this script.)
             if dst: dst.close()
     return os.path.realpath(saveto)
 
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 def main(argv, version=DEFAULT_VERSION):
     """Install or upgrade setuptools and EasyInstall"""
-
     try:
         import setuptools
     except ImportError:
@@ -167,8 +208,11 @@ def main(argv, version=DEFAULT_VERSION):
                 os.unlink(egg)
     else:
         if setuptools.__version__ == '0.0.1':
-            # tell the user to uninstall obsolete version
-            use_setuptools(version)
+            print >>sys.stderr, (
+            "You have an obsolete version of setuptools installed.  Please\n"
+            "remove it from your system entirely before rerunning this script."
+            )
+            sys.exit(2)
 
     req = "setuptools>="+version
     import pkg_resources
@@ -189,13 +233,10 @@ def main(argv, version=DEFAULT_VERSION):
             print "Setuptools version",version,"or greater has been installed."
             print '(Run "ez_setup.py -U setuptools" to reinstall or upgrade.)'
 
-
-
 def update_md5(filenames):
     """Update our built-in md5 registry"""
 
     import re
-    from md5 import md5
 
     for name in filenames:
         base = os.path.basename(name)
@@ -227,3 +268,9 @@ if __name__=='__main__':
         update_md5(sys.argv[2:])
     else:
         main(sys.argv[1:])
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