Lost connections with mysql-server-4.0.23p1

[Jason Dixon <jason_(_at_)_dixongroup_(_dot_)_net>]

I've got an OpenBSD 3.7 server with mysql-server-4.0.23p1.tgz  
installed from packages.  Once a week or so, the mysql server will  
stop taking queries, commands, etc.  Applications that rely on the  
database will complain of having lost the connection.  Attempting any  
mysql or mysqladmin commands also report a lost connection:

# mysqladmin -p status
Enter password:
mysqladmin: connect to server at 'localhost' failed
error: 'Lost connection to MySQL server during query'

There are no error messages in /var/mysql/`hostname`.err that would  
suggest anything is wrong.  Has anyone else run into problems with  
this version?  Any success stories with the newest 4.1.14 port  
running on 3.7?

Thanks,

--
Jason Dixon
DixonGroup Consulting
http://www.dixongroup.net