I respectfully disagree.
Major functionality changes and additional content are in numbered patches. Minor functionality changes are still functionality changes (something that didn't happen now does happen) and get a lettered patch. Bug fixes are put into non-numbered, non-lettered updates.
I don't see how functionality change is a waste of a patch. Especially when that functionality change affects the frequency of repairs, and thus the amount of gil a player has to spend on upkeep of their equipment ... no matter how minor that may be.