getting workrave to notice gconf changes to /apps/workrave/gui/operation-mode

Dear Workrave fans,

I'm using Workrave 1.8.5 (the default for Ubuntu Hardy Heron).
Workrave has the ability to choose 1 of 3 operation modes via a menu:
Normal, Suspended, and Quiet.  When this is changed via the menu, the
value of the gconf setting for /apps/workrave/gui/operation-mode
changes.  Workrave usually notices changes by other programs to its
gconf settings, but does not notice changes to
/apps/workrave/gui/operation-mode.  (Maybe because this change is done
via a menu instead of a check box?)  So I can do “gconftool-2 --type
int --set /apps/workrave/gui/operation-mode 0” and it does not return
Workrave to normal mode.

It seems this is probably a bug.

Separately from fixing the bug, I am looking for a workaround that I
can use with my installed Workrave.  (I do not want to upgrade
operating systems or install software by hand.)

Is there a way to get Workrave to notice the changed setting of
/apps/workrave/gui/operation-mode, other than killing and restarting
Workrave?

The issue is that sometimes when working to a tight deadline I need to
suspend Workrave, but then I forget to reenable it until far too late.
(What would be ideal would be a command to “suspend Workrave for the
next 2 hours only”.)  So I'm trying to set up a cron job that will
notice the bad setting and fix it automatically.  But Workrave ignores
gconf changes to this particular setting.