diff --git a/usr.bin/error/error.h b/usr.bin/error/error.h
index d7344ee41437..d8f2254efef7 100644
--- a/usr.bin/error/error.h
+++ b/usr.bin/error/error.h
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/*	$NetBSD: error.h,v 1.20 2023/08/26 14:50:53 rillig Exp $	*/
+/*	$NetBSD: error.h,v 1.21 2023/08/26 15:18:27 rillig Exp $	*/
 
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 1980, 1993
@@ -281,6 +281,6 @@ char *substitute(char *, char, char);
 bool touchfiles(int, Eptr **, int *, char ***);
 const char *verbform(int);
 void wordvbuild(char *, int*, char ***);
-int wordvcmp(char **, int, char **);
+bool wordv_eq(char **, int, char **);
 void wordvprint(FILE *, int, char **);
 char **wordvsplice(int, int, char **);
diff --git a/usr.bin/error/input.c b/usr.bin/error/input.c
index beb0d8b58270..8a20ad14e09f 100644
--- a/usr.bin/error/input.c
+++ b/usr.bin/error/input.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/*	$NetBSD: input.c,v 1.20 2023/08/26 14:50:53 rillig Exp $	*/
+/*	$NetBSD: input.c,v 1.21 2023/08/26 15:18:27 rillig Exp $	*/
 
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 1980, 1993
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
 #if 0
 static char sccsid[] = "@(#)input.c	8.1 (Berkeley) 6/6/93";
 #endif
-__RCSID("$NetBSD: input.c,v 1.20 2023/08/26 14:50:53 rillig Exp $");
+__RCSID("$NetBSD: input.c,v 1.21 2023/08/26 15:18:27 rillig Exp $");
 #endif /* not lint */
 
 #include <stdio.h>
@@ -488,8 +488,8 @@ lint3(void)
 {
 	if (cur_wordc < 3)
 		return C_UNKNOWN;
-	if (wordvcmp(cur_wordv+2, 4, Lint31) == 0
-	    || wordvcmp(cur_wordv+2, 6, Lint32) == 0) {
+	if (wordv_eq(cur_wordv+2, 4, Lint31)
+	    || wordv_eq(cur_wordv+2, 6, Lint32)) {
 		language = INLINT;
 		return C_NONSPEC;
 	}
@@ -526,7 +526,7 @@ f77(void)
 	 *	Warning on line %d of %s: %s
 	 *	Error.  No assembly.
 	 */
-	if (cur_wordc == 3 && wordvcmp(cur_wordv+1, 3, F77_no_ass) == 0) {
+	if (cur_wordc == 3 && wordv_eq(cur_wordv+1, 3, F77_no_ass)) {
 		cur_wordc = 0;
 		return C_SYNC;
 	}
@@ -534,9 +534,9 @@ f77(void)
 		return C_UNKNOWN;
 	if (lastchar(cur_wordv[6]) == ':'
 	    && (
-		wordvcmp(cur_wordv+1, 3, F77_fatal) == 0
-		|| wordvcmp(cur_wordv+1, 3, F77_error) == 0
-		|| wordvcmp(cur_wordv+1, 3, F77_warning) == 0
+		wordv_eq(cur_wordv+1, 3, F77_fatal)
+		|| wordv_eq(cur_wordv+1, 3, F77_error)
+		|| wordv_eq(cur_wordv+1, 3, F77_warning)
 	       )
 	) {
 		language = INF77;
@@ -563,11 +563,11 @@ DECL_STRINGS_5(static, Make_NotRemade,
 static Errorclass
 make(void)
 {
-	if (wordvcmp(cur_wordv+1, 3, Make_Croak) == 0) {
+	if (wordv_eq(cur_wordv+1, 3, Make_Croak)) {
 		language = INMAKE;
 		return C_SYNC;
 	}
-	if (wordvcmp(cur_wordv+2, 5, Make_NotRemade) == 0) {
+	if (wordv_eq(cur_wordv+2, 5, Make_NotRemade)) {
 		language = INMAKE;
 		return C_SYNC;
 	}
diff --git a/usr.bin/error/pi.c b/usr.bin/error/pi.c
index 5e0ad960a2d8..2517e45c2dff 100644
--- a/usr.bin/error/pi.c
+++ b/usr.bin/error/pi.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/*	$NetBSD: pi.c,v 1.23 2023/08/26 14:59:44 rillig Exp $	*/
+/*	$NetBSD: pi.c,v 1.24 2023/08/26 15:18:27 rillig Exp $	*/
 
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 1980, 1993
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
 #if 0
 static char sccsid[] = "@(#)pi.c	8.1 (Berkeley) 6/6/93";
 #endif
-__RCSID("$NetBSD: pi.c,v 1.23 2023/08/26 14:59:44 rillig Exp $");
+__RCSID("$NetBSD: pi.c,v 1.24 2023/08/26 15:18:27 rillig Exp $");
 #endif /* not lint */
 
 #include <stdio.h>
@@ -329,10 +329,10 @@ pi(void)
 		int wordindex;
 
 		language = INPI;
-		if ((undefined = (wordvcmp(cur_wordv+2, 3, pi_und1) == 0))
-		     || (undefined = (wordvcmp(cur_wordv+2, 3, pi_und2) == 0))
-		     || wordvcmp(cur_wordv+2, 4, pi_imp1) == 0
-		     || wordvcmp(cur_wordv+2, 4, pi_imp2) == 0
+		if ((undefined = wordv_eq(cur_wordv+2, 3, pi_und1))
+		     || (undefined = wordv_eq(cur_wordv+2, 3, pi_und2))
+		     || wordv_eq(cur_wordv+2, 4, pi_imp1)
+		     || wordv_eq(cur_wordv+2, 4, pi_imp2)
 		) {
 			for (wordindex = undefined ? 5 : 6;
 			     wordindex <= cur_wordc;
@@ -419,10 +419,10 @@ pi(void)
 	structured = false;
 	multiple = false;
 	if (
-	       (cur_wordc == 6 && wordvcmp(cur_wordv+1, 2, pi_Endmatched) == 0)
-	    || (cur_wordc == 8 && wordvcmp(cur_wordv+1, 4, pi_Inserted) == 0)
-	    || (multiple = (cur_wordc == 9 && wordvcmp(cur_wordv+1,6, pi_multiple) == 0))
-	    || (structured = (cur_wordc == 10 && wordvcmp(cur_wordv+6,5, pi_structured) == 0))
+	       (cur_wordc == 6 && wordv_eq(cur_wordv+1, 2, pi_Endmatched))
+	    || (cur_wordc == 8 && wordv_eq(cur_wordv+1, 4, pi_Inserted))
+	    || (multiple = (cur_wordc == 9 && wordv_eq(cur_wordv+1,6, pi_multiple)))
+	    || (structured = (cur_wordc == 10 && wordv_eq(cur_wordv+6,5, pi_structured)))
 	) {
 		language = INPI;
 		nwordv = wordvsplice(2, cur_wordc, cur_wordv+1);
diff --git a/usr.bin/error/subr.c b/usr.bin/error/subr.c
index 2a872ad1a082..7917f3aed3d9 100644
--- a/usr.bin/error/subr.c
+++ b/usr.bin/error/subr.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/*	$NetBSD: subr.c,v 1.25 2023/08/26 15:07:14 rillig Exp $	*/
+/*	$NetBSD: subr.c,v 1.26 2023/08/26 15:18:27 rillig Exp $	*/
 
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 1980, 1993
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
 #if 0
 static char sccsid[] = "@(#)subr.c	8.1 (Berkeley) 6/6/93";
 #endif
-__RCSID("$NetBSD: subr.c,v 1.25 2023/08/26 15:07:14 rillig Exp $");
+__RCSID("$NetBSD: subr.c,v 1.26 2023/08/26 15:18:27 rillig Exp $");
 #endif /* not lint */
 
 #include <ctype.h>
@@ -347,18 +347,14 @@ wordvbuild(char *string, int *r_wordc, char ***r_wordv)
 /*
  * Compare two 0 based wordvectors
  */
-int
-wordvcmp(char **wordv1, int wordc, char **wordv2)
+bool
+wordv_eq(char **wordv1, int wordc, char **wordv2)
 {
-	int back;
-
-	for (int i = 0; i < wordc; i++) {
-		if (wordv1[i] == NULL || wordv2[i] == NULL)
-			return -1;
-		if ((back = strcmp(wordv1[i], wordv2[i])) != 0)
-			return back;
-	}
-	return 0;	/* they are equal */
+	for (int i = 0; i < wordc; i++)
+		if (wordv1[i] == NULL || wordv2[i] == NULL
+		    || strcmp(wordv1[i], wordv2[i]) != 0)
+			return false;
+	return true;
 }
 
 /*