Apache 2.4 and mod_dir

The httpd commit r1573580 (under a configurable option: don't run 
mod_dir if
r->handler is already set.) does not appear to hold true when 
$r->handler is
set via MP as:

   # In my httpd config
   DirectoryCheckHandler Off

   # In a PerlFixupHandler
   $r->push_handlers(PerlResponseHandler => \&_response_handler);
   $r->handler('modperl');

After I return from the fixup handler I see a two subrequests (for 
index.html
and index.php) before the main request's response handler is called.

My question, is this something to follow through with mod_perl or httpd?

Server version:

   mpm_prefork
   Apache/2.4.9 (Fedora)
   PHP/5.5.10
   mod_apreq2-20090110/2.8.0
   mod_perl/2.0.9-dev
   Perl/v5.18.2

See also:

http://mail-archives.apache.org/mod_mbox/httpd-cvs/201403.mbox/%[email protected]%3E