Projection problem after upgrade from 4.2 to 4.4

[Kevin Grootendorst]

I just recently upgraded from:  MS 4.2 and PHP 4.3.4 to MS 4.4 and PHP
4.3.7.  I also upgraded to Proj 4.4.9

The application (built using MapLab 2.2) was running smoothly before the
upgrade, but now I'm presented with the error:
PHP Fatal error:  [MapServer Error]: msProcessProjection(): projection not
named in C:\web\maplab-2.2
\projects\gmf_apps\GreatLakes\wrapper\map_session.php on line 845

Line 845 is: $this->oMap->setprojection(implode( "\n", split( " ", $aszKeys
["SRS"] ) ));

My original projection info in the map file was:
PROJECTION
   #"init=epsg:4269"     #NAD 83
   "SRS=epsg:4269"     #NAD 83
END

If I use "init=epsg:4269", then the app loads but no map is ever displayed.
If I comment out both, then everything works fine (all data is in NAD 83).
However, I may want to reproject on the fly later on.
My epsg file contains the parameters for NAD 83.

Can anybody shed some light on this?

Thanks,

Kevin