ps2epsi in GNU ghostscript 6.53 is broken

[Doug]

try this:
ps2epsi /usr/share/doc/gs/examples/alphabet.ps


Error: /invalidaccess in --.setdevice--
Operand stack:
   --nostringval--
Execution stack:
   %interp_exit   .runexec2   --nostringval--   --nostringval--  
--nostringval--   2   %stopped_push   --nostringval--  
--nostringval--   --nostringval--   false   1   %stopped_push   1   3 
 %oparray_pop   1   3   %oparray_pop   1   3   %oparray_pop  
.runexec2   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   2  
%stopped_push   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   --nostringval--  
1   4   %oparray_pop   --nostringval--   --nostringval--  
--nostringval--
Dictionary stack:
   --dict:1014/1123(ro)(G)--   --dict:0/20(G)--   --dict:68/200(L)--  
--dict:19/30(L)--
Current allocation mode is local
Current file position is 8728
AFPL Ghostscript 7.04: Unrecoverable error, exit code 1
sed: -e expression #2, char 15: Extra characters after command

running Debian GNU linux unstable i386 with gs 6.5.3
the ps2pesi shell script trys to invoke -sDEVICE=bit 
any recommendations?
thanks