diff --git a/lapi.c b/lapi.c
index 184b8dd7..bbba88a3 100644
--- a/lapi.c
+++ b/lapi.c
@@ -1239,14 +1239,12 @@ LUA_API void lua_toclose (lua_State *L, int idx) {
 LUA_API void lua_concat (lua_State *L, int n) {
   lua_lock(L);
   api_checknelems(L, n);
-  if (n >= 2) {
+  if (n > 0)
     luaV_concat(L, n);
-  }
-  else if (n == 0) {  /* push empty string */
-    setsvalue2s(L, L->top, luaS_newlstr(L, "", 0));
+  else {  /* nothing to concatenate */
+    setsvalue2s(L, L->top, luaS_newlstr(L, "", 0));  /* push empty string */
     api_incr_top(L);
   }
-  /* else n == 1; nothing to do */
   luaC_checkGC(L);
   lua_unlock(L);
 }
diff --git a/lobject.c b/lobject.c
index 2a28ebd4..223bbd0c 100644
--- a/lobject.c
+++ b/lobject.c
@@ -402,10 +402,8 @@ static void pushstr (BuffFS *buff, const char *str, size_t l) {
   setsvalue2s(L, L->top, luaS_newlstr(L, str, l));
   L->top++;  /* may use one extra slot */
   buff->pushed++;
-  if (buff->pushed > 1) {
-    luaV_concat(L, buff->pushed);  /* join partial results into one */
-    buff->pushed = 1;
-  }
+  luaV_concat(L, buff->pushed);  /* join partial results into one */
+  buff->pushed = 1;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/lvm.c b/lvm.c
index e7781dbf..ccbfbab5 100644
--- a/lvm.c
+++ b/lvm.c
@@ -634,7 +634,8 @@ static void copy2buff (StkId top, int n, char *buff) {
 ** from 'L->top - total' up to 'L->top - 1'.
 */
 void luaV_concat (lua_State *L, int total) {
-  lua_assert(total >= 2);
+  if (total == 1)
+    return;  /* "all" values already concatenated */
   do {
     StkId top = L->top;
     int n = 2;  /* number of elements handled in this pass (at least 2) */
@@ -840,10 +841,8 @@ void luaV_finishOp (lua_State *L) {
       int a = GETARG_A(inst);      /* first element to concatenate */
       int total = cast_int(top - 1 - (base + a));  /* yet to concatenate */
       setobjs2s(L, top - 2, top);  /* put TM result in proper position */
-      if (total > 1) {  /* are there elements to concat? */
-        L->top = top - 1;  /* top is one after last element (at top-2) */
-        luaV_concat(L, total);  /* concat them (may yield again) */
-      }
+      L->top = top - 1;  /* top is one after last element (at top-2) */
+      luaV_concat(L, total);  /* concat them (may yield again) */
       break;
     }
     default: {