samba - Dec 2001 - oplock error - broken client? need workaround

Hi-

I've used the same smb.conf for many such file servers: one big share
the office can write to, share level, no passwords.  But I've never
had the following error, and can't find the same combo of errors on
the web either.  They are MS works 2000 databases.  If a client opens
one, then closes it, no other client can access the file (it will hang
indefinitely) until the original client reboots (!).  The same files,
if placed on a share on a windows machine, allow normal access (one
client at a time) no problems.  I've also tried waiting up to four
hours after the original client closes the file, to no avail.  The
clients are fully up-to-date win98se.  Everything else works as
expected, with the exception of these works database.  

Thank you kindly for any advice.

-Ryan

Here is the error:

[2001/12/10 14:25:37, 0] smbd/oplock.c:receive_local_message(155)
  receive_local_message: invalid 'from' address (was 220d46d8 should be
127.0.0.1
[2001/12/10 14:26:09, 0] smbd/oplock.c:request_oplock_break(1026)
  request_oplock_break: no response received to oplock break request to pid
31307 on port 1217 for dev = 301, inode = 570152
  for dev = 301, inode = 570152, tv_sec = 3c1519cc, tv_usec = 9808e
[2001/12/10 14:26:09, 0] smbd/open.c:open_mode_check(555)
  open_mode_check: exlusive oplock left by process 31307 after break ! For file
NCLT/Membership/data bases/mailing list database.wdb, dev = 301, inode = 570152.
Deleting it to continue...
[2001/12/10 14:26:09, 0] lib/util.c:smb_panic(1055)
  PANIC: open_mode_check: Existant process 31307 left active oplock.

Here is a trimmed up smb.conf:

[global]
   guest account = nobody
   invalid users = root
   netbios name = SERVER
   socket address = 192.168.123.1
   interfaces = lo eth0 192.168.123.0/24 127.0.0.1
   bind interfaces only = yes
   security = share
   workgroup = FOOGROUP
   socket options = IPTOS_LOWDELAY TCP_NODELAY SO_SNDBUF=4096 SO_RCVBUF=4096
   wins support = yes

[FOOfiles]
    browseable = yes
    path = /var/samba/shares/foofiles
    public = yes
    writeable = yes
    create mode = 766