  We perform a NLO QCD analysis of deep-inelastic scattering data, in which we
account for absorptive corrections. These corrections are determined from a
simultaneous analysis of diffractive deep-inelastic data. The absorptive
effects are found to enhance the size of the gluon distribution at small x,
such that a negative input gluon distribution at Q^2 = 1 GeV^2 is no longer
required. We discuss the problem that the gluon distribution is valence-like at
low scales, whereas the sea quark distribution grows with decreasing x. Our
study hints at the possible importance of power corrections for Q^2 \simeq 1--2
GeV^2.
