diff --git a/usr.bin/make/unit-tests/Makefile b/usr.bin/make/unit-tests/Makefile
index df116e2bd1ac..14e4d67bba7e 100644
--- a/usr.bin/make/unit-tests/Makefile
+++ b/usr.bin/make/unit-tests/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# $Id: Makefile,v 1.3 2003/07/29 08:16:01 sjg Exp $
+# $Id: Makefile,v 1.4 2003/07/29 08:44:42 sjg Exp $
 #
 # Unit tests for make(1)
 # The main targets are:
@@ -31,11 +31,12 @@ mod-ts:
 	@echo 'LIST:ts:S/two/2/="${LIST:ts:S/two/2/}"'
 	@echo 'LIST:S/two/2/:ts="${LIST:S/two/2/:ts}"'
 	@echo 'LIST:ts/:S/two/2/="${LIST:ts/:S/two/2/}"'
-	@echo 'LIST:ts\n="${LIST:ts\n}"'
-	@echo 'LIST:ts\t="${LIST:ts\t}"'
-	@echo 'LIST:ts\012:tu="${LIST:ts\012:tu}"'
+	@echo "Pretend the '/' in '/n' etc. below are back-slashes."
+	@echo 'LIST:ts/n="${LIST:ts\n}"'
+	@echo 'LIST:ts/t="${LIST:ts\t}"'
+	@echo 'LIST:ts/012:tu="${LIST:ts\012:tu}"'
 	@echo 'LIST:tx="${LIST:tx}"'
-	@echo 'LIST:ts\a:tu="${LIST:ts\a:tu}"'
+	@echo 'LIST:ts/a:tu="${LIST:ts\a:tu}"'
 	@echo 'FU_$@="${FU_${@:ts}:ts}"'
 	@echo 'FU_$@:ts:T="${FU_${@:ts}:ts:T}" == cool?'
 
diff --git a/usr.bin/make/unit-tests/test.exp b/usr.bin/make/unit-tests/test.exp
index 8f5b3e466824..2b862c94d2c0 100644
--- a/usr.bin/make/unit-tests/test.exp
+++ b/usr.bin/make/unit-tests/test.exp
@@ -7,24 +7,23 @@ LIST:ts="onetwothreefourfivesix"
 LIST:ts:S/two/2/="one2threefourfivesix"
 LIST:S/two/2/:ts="one2threefourfivesix"
 LIST:ts/:S/two/2/="one/2/three/four/five/six"
-LIST:ts\n="one
+Pretend the '/' in '/n' etc. below are back-slashes.
+LIST:ts/n="one
 two
 three
 four
 five
 six"
-LIST:ts\t="one	two	three	four	five	six"
-LIST:ts\012:tu="ONE
+LIST:ts/t="one	two	three	four	five	six"
+LIST:ts/012:tu="ONE
 TWO
 THREE
 FOUR
 FIVE
 SIX"
 make: Bad modifier `:tx' for LIST
-make: Unclosed substitution for LIST (/ missing)
 LIST:tx="}"
 make: Bad modifier `:ts\a' for LIST
-make: Unclosed substitution for LIST (/ missing)
-LIST:ts\a:tu="\a:tu}"
+LIST:ts/a:tu="\a:tu}"
 FU_mod-ts="a/b/cool"
 FU_mod-ts:ts:T="cool" == cool?
diff --git a/usr.bin/make/var.c b/usr.bin/make/var.c
index e0d324ee6436..72e57fa36b0a 100644
--- a/usr.bin/make/var.c
+++ b/usr.bin/make/var.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/*	$NetBSD: var.c,v 1.76 2003/07/28 22:52:10 sjg Exp $	*/
+/*	$NetBSD: var.c,v 1.77 2003/07/29 08:44:41 sjg Exp $	*/
 
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993
@@ -39,14 +39,14 @@
  */
 
 #ifdef MAKE_BOOTSTRAP
-static char rcsid[] = "$NetBSD: var.c,v 1.76 2003/07/28 22:52:10 sjg Exp $";
+static char rcsid[] = "$NetBSD: var.c,v 1.77 2003/07/29 08:44:41 sjg Exp $";
 #else
 #include <sys/cdefs.h>
 #ifndef lint
 #if 0
 static char sccsid[] = "@(#)var.c	8.3 (Berkeley) 3/19/94";
 #else
-__RCSID("$NetBSD: var.c,v 1.76 2003/07/28 22:52:10 sjg Exp $");
+__RCSID("$NetBSD: var.c,v 1.77 2003/07/29 08:44:41 sjg Exp $");
 #endif
 #endif /* not lint */
 #endif
@@ -2024,6 +2024,8 @@ Var_Parse(const char *str, GNode *ctxt, Boolean err, int *lengthPtr,
 	 */
 	*WR(tstr) = ':';
 	tstr++;
+	delim = '\0';
+
 	while (*tstr && *tstr != endc) {
 	    char	*newStr;    /* New value to return */
 	    char	termc;	    /* Character which terminated scan */