I know you cant split edges from a boolean Jay..if thats what you meant..and as you said there is a workaround...I think ct has mentioned it before. As long as you have at least 1 edge on section one that the boolean will intersect...after the boolean you can then split from the edges of the resulting geo.
cheers bullet
bullet1968
"A Darkness at Sethanon", a book I aspire to model some of the charcters and scenes