After a long download that spanned several days, I finally managed to upgrade my workstations to KDE 3.5.4 (information, compilation requirements).
In keeping with my previous KDE upgrade, the boot time in goyeneche is 29.67s: Slightly slower than KDE 3.5.3, but there are compensations for it. For instance, this KDE feels more lightweight to the point that I can begin to use it in the memory-starved goyeneche workstation again. This is truly a great desktop, and the upgrade is thoroughly recommended.