FITS images with negative pixels, plate solving, and interpreting negative values

See below screen shots.  First one is from AIP4WIN...examining a calibrated image that I uploaded to VPHOT yesterday as a test.  (It's the first/earliest V filter image in a small image set I uploaded to my account.)

Note that in AIP4WIN pixel (X,Y) 331, 237 has a negative ADU value....   -3.

Second screen shot shows the display of ADU values for that region (of the very same image) from VPHOT.  It does not show a negative number...it shows it as zero.  (I have confirmed it's the same image...I have looked at pixel/ADU values for non-negative values...and the x,y pixel coords and ADU values match up perfectly.)

AIP4WIN says the FITS header:

BZERO   = +3.141300000000E+004                                                 
BSCALE  = +1.000000000000E+000

VPHOT says FITS header:

BZERO   = +3.141300000000E+004
BSCALE  = +1.000000000000E+000
...they appear to be the same values.

When I calibrate images...a handful pixels end up with negative values.  Two issues:

1.  VPHOT does not appear to handle/display them properly.  That can have an impact on photometry math.

2.  It spoils plate solve attempts on shorter exposures (on dark sky, with 'dark' filters, such as B)...when there may be hundreds of negative pixel values in the sky in the calibrated image.  And based on my experience before with PinPoint...I think PinPoint treats a negative pixel (e.g. ADU = -3) as a pixel of ADU = 65535 - 3 = 65532....which is a very bright false star that confuses PinPoint...especially when there are dozens or hundreds of them in the image.  (If I take a 'problem' image that won't solve in PinPoint because of negative pixels...and create a new image, with a constant ADU value added to all pixels so that there are no more negative pixels....the image plate solves beautifully.  You can see this change in the PinPoint log...instead of detecting 500 stars (because there are 300 negative pixels falsely recognized as stars)...it now detects 200 stars.)

Third screen shot shows histogram of image that solved in VPHOT...and there are a surprising number of 'slightly negative' pixels.

What can we do to improve the way VPHOT handles images with a handful of negative pixels?  We can improve the photometry results, and improve the probability of successful PinPoint plate solving.

Thanks in advance.