diff --git a/src/input.c b/src/input.c
index 17544e7..cf4efdc 100644
--- a/src/input.c
+++ b/src/input.c
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ struct parsefile *parsefile = &basepf;	/* current input file */
 int whichprompt;		/* 1 == PS1, 2 == PS2 */
 
 STATIC void pushfile(void);
+static void popstring(void);
 static int preadfd(void);
 static void setinputfd(int fd, int push);
 static int preadbuffer(void);
@@ -99,13 +100,32 @@ FORKRESET {
 #endif
 
 
-/*
- * Read a character from the script, returning PEOF on end of file.
- * Nul characters in the input are silently discarded.
- */
+static void freestrings(struct strpush *sp)
+{
+	INTOFF;
+	do {
+		struct strpush *psp;
 
-int
-pgetc(void)
+		if (sp->ap) {
+			sp->ap->flag &= ~ALIASINUSE;
+			if (sp->ap->flag & ALIASDEAD) {
+				unalias(sp->ap->name);
+			}
+		}
+
+		psp = sp;
+		sp = sp->spfree;
+
+		if (psp != &(parsefile->basestrpush))
+			ckfree(psp);
+	} while (sp);
+
+	parsefile->spfree = NULL;
+	INTON;
+}
+
+
+static int __pgetc(void)
 {
 	int c;
 
@@ -125,17 +145,18 @@ pgetc(void)
 
 
 /*
- * Same as pgetc(), but ignores PEOA.
+ * Read a character from the script, returning PEOF on end of file.
+ * Nul characters in the input are silently discarded.
  */
 
-int
-pgetc2()
+int pgetc(void)
 {
-	int c;
-	do {
-		c = pgetc();
-	} while (c == PEOA);
-	return c;
+	struct strpush *sp = parsefile->spfree;
+
+	if (unlikely(sp))
+		freestrings(sp);
+
+	return __pgetc();
 }
 
 
@@ -214,16 +235,8 @@ static int preadbuffer(void)
 	char savec;
 
 	if (unlikely(parsefile->strpush)) {
-		if (
-			parsefile->nleft == -1 &&
-			parsefile->strpush->ap &&
-			parsefile->nextc[-1] != ' ' &&
-			parsefile->nextc[-1] != '\t'
-		) {
-			return PEOA;
-		}
 		popstring();
-		return pgetc();
+		return __pgetc();
 	}
 	if (unlikely(parsefile->nleft == EOF_NLEFT ||
 		     parsefile->buf == NULL))
@@ -331,7 +344,8 @@ pushstring(char *s, void *ap)
 	len = strlen(s);
 	INTOFF;
 /*dprintf("*** calling pushstring: %s, %d\n", s, len);*/
-	if (parsefile->strpush) {
+	if ((unsigned long)parsefile->strpush |
+	    (unsigned long)parsefile->spfree) {
 		sp = ckmalloc(sizeof (struct strpush));
 		sp->prev = parsefile->strpush;
 		parsefile->strpush = sp;
@@ -340,6 +354,7 @@ pushstring(char *s, void *ap)
 	sp->prevstring = parsefile->nextc;
 	sp->prevnleft = parsefile->nleft;
 	sp->unget = parsefile->unget;
+	sp->spfree = parsefile->spfree;
 	memcpy(sp->lastc, parsefile->lastc, sizeof(sp->lastc));
 	sp->ap = (struct alias *)ap;
 	if (ap) {
@@ -349,11 +364,11 @@ pushstring(char *s, void *ap)
 	parsefile->nextc = s;
 	parsefile->nleft = len;
 	parsefile->unget = 0;
+	parsefile->spfree = NULL;
 	INTON;
 }
 
-void
-popstring(void)
+static void popstring(void)
 {
 	struct strpush *sp = parsefile->strpush;
 
@@ -366,10 +381,6 @@ popstring(void)
 		if (sp->string != sp->ap->val) {
 			ckfree(sp->string);
 		}
-		sp->ap->flag &= ~ALIASINUSE;
-		if (sp->ap->flag & ALIASDEAD) {
-			unalias(sp->ap->name);
-		}
 	}
 	parsefile->nextc = sp->prevstring;
 	parsefile->nleft = sp->prevnleft;
@@ -377,8 +388,7 @@ popstring(void)
 	memcpy(parsefile->lastc, sp->lastc, sizeof(sp->lastc));
 /*dprintf("*** calling popstring: restoring to '%s'\n", parsenextc);*/
 	parsefile->strpush = sp->prev;
-	if (sp != &(parsefile->basestrpush))
-		ckfree(sp);
+	parsefile->spfree = sp;
 	INTON;
 }
 
@@ -460,6 +470,7 @@ pushfile(void)
 	pf->prev = parsefile;
 	pf->fd = -1;
 	pf->strpush = NULL;
+	pf->spfree = NULL;
 	pf->basestrpush.prev = NULL;
 	pf->unget = 0;
 	parsefile = pf;
@@ -476,8 +487,12 @@ popfile(void)
 		close(pf->fd);
 	if (pf->buf)
 		ckfree(pf->buf);
-	while (pf->strpush)
+	if (parsefile->spfree)
+		freestrings(parsefile->spfree);
+	while (pf->strpush) {
 		popstring();
+		freestrings(parsefile->spfree);
+	}
 	parsefile = pf->prev;
 	ckfree(pf);
 	INTON;
diff --git a/src/input.h b/src/input.h
index 8acc6e9..8c39f33 100644
--- a/src/input.h
+++ b/src/input.h
@@ -50,6 +50,9 @@ struct strpush {
 	struct alias *ap;	/* if push was associated with an alias */
 	char *string;		/* remember the string since it may change */
 
+	/* Delay freeing so we can stop nested aliases. */
+	struct strpush *spfree;
+
 	/* Remember last two characters for pungetc. */
 	int lastc[2];
 
@@ -73,6 +76,9 @@ struct parsefile {
 	struct strpush *strpush; /* for pushing strings at this level */
 	struct strpush basestrpush; /* so pushing one is fast */
 
+	/* Delay freeing so we can stop nested aliases. */
+	struct strpush *spfree;
+
 	/* Remember last two characters for pungetc. */
 	int lastc[2];
 
@@ -93,7 +99,6 @@ int pgetc(void);
 int pgetc2(void);
 void pungetc(void);
 void pushstring(char *, void *);
-void popstring(void);
 int setinputfile(const char *, int);
 void setinputstring(char *);
 void popfile(void);
diff --git a/src/mksyntax.c b/src/mksyntax.c
index a23c18c..da18f5d 100644
--- a/src/mksyntax.c
+++ b/src/mksyntax.c
@@ -64,7 +64,6 @@ struct synclass synclass[] = {
 	{ "CEOF",	"end of file" },
 	{ "CCTL",	"like CWORD, except it must be escaped" },
 	{ "CSPCL",	"these terminate a word" },
-	{ "CIGN",	"character should be ignored" },
 	{ NULL,		NULL }
 };
 
@@ -145,9 +144,8 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		fprintf(hfile, "/* %s */\n", is_entry[i].comment);
 	}
 	putc('\n', hfile);
-	fprintf(hfile, "#define SYNBASE %d\n", 130);
-	fprintf(hfile, "#define PEOF %d\n\n", -130);
-	fprintf(hfile, "#define PEOA %d\n\n", -129);
+	fprintf(hfile, "#define SYNBASE %d\n", 129);
+	fprintf(hfile, "#define PEOF %d\n\n", -129);
 	putc('\n', hfile);
 	fputs("#define BASESYNTAX (basesyntax + SYNBASE)\n", hfile);
 	fputs("#define DQSYNTAX (dqsyntax + SYNBASE)\n", hfile);
@@ -170,7 +168,6 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	add("$", "CVAR");
 	add("}", "CENDVAR");
 	add("<>();&| \t", "CSPCL");
-	syntax[1] = "CSPCL";
 	print("basesyntax");
 	init();
 	fputs("\n/* syntax table used when in double quotes */\n", cfile);
@@ -223,7 +220,7 @@ filltable(char *dftval)
 {
 	int i;
 
-	for (i = 0 ; i < 258; i++)
+	for (i = 0 ; i < 257; i++)
 		syntax[i] = dftval;
 }
 
@@ -239,9 +236,8 @@ init(void)
 
 	filltable("CWORD");
 	syntax[0] = "CEOF";
-	syntax[1] = "CIGN";
 	for (ctl = CTL_FIRST; ctl <= CTL_LAST; ctl++ )
-		syntax[130 + ctl] = "CCTL";
+		syntax[129 + ctl] = "CCTL";
 }
 
 
@@ -253,7 +249,7 @@ static void
 add(char *p, char *type)
 {
 	while (*p)
-		syntax[(signed char)*p++ + 130] = type;
+		syntax[(signed char)*p++ + 129] = type;
 }
 
 
@@ -271,7 +267,7 @@ print(char *name)
 	fprintf(hfile, "extern const char %s[];\n", name);
 	fprintf(cfile, "const char %s[] = {\n", name);
 	col = 0;
-	for (i = 0 ; i < 258; i++) {
+	for (i = 0 ; i < 257; i++) {
 		if (i == 0) {
 			fputs("      ", cfile);
 		} else if ((i & 03) == 0) {
diff --git a/src/parser.c b/src/parser.c
index 3131045..07ee727 100644
--- a/src/parser.c
+++ b/src/parser.c
@@ -796,7 +796,6 @@ xxreadtoken(void)
 		c = pgetc_eatbnl();
 		switch (c) {
 		case ' ': case '\t':
-		case PEOA:
 			continue;
 		case '#':
 			while ((c = pgetc()) != '\n' && c != PEOF);
@@ -838,7 +837,7 @@ static int pgetc_eatbnl(void)
 	int c;
 
 	while ((c = pgetc()) == '\\') {
-		if (pgetc2() != '\n') {
+		if (pgetc() != '\n') {
 			pungetc();
 			break;
 		}
@@ -943,7 +942,7 @@ readtoken1(int firstc, char const *syntax, char *eofmark, int striptabs)
 				break;
 			/* backslash */
 			case CBACK:
-				c = pgetc2();
+				c = pgetc();
 				if (c == PEOF) {
 					USTPUTC(CTLESC, out);
 					USTPUTC('\\', out);
@@ -1048,14 +1047,10 @@ toggledq:
 				break;
 			case CEOF:
 				goto endword;		/* exit outer loop */
-			case CIGN:
-				break;
 			default:
 				if (synstack->varnest == 0)
 					goto endword;	/* exit outer loop */
-				if (c != PEOA) {
-					USTPUTC(c, out);
-				}
+				USTPUTC(c, out);
 			}
 			c = pgetc_top(synstack);
 		}
@@ -1103,13 +1098,9 @@ checkend: {
 		int markloc;
 		char *p;
 
-		if (c == PEOA) {
-			c = pgetc2();
-		}
 		if (striptabs) {
-			while (c == '\t') {
-				c = pgetc2();
-			}
+			while (c == '\t')
+				c = pgetc();
 		}
 
 		markloc = out - (char *)stackblock();
@@ -1117,7 +1108,7 @@ checkend: {
 			if (c != *p)
 				goto more_heredoc;
 
-			c = pgetc2();
+			c = pgetc();
 		}
 
 		if (c == '\n' || c == PEOF) {
@@ -1229,7 +1220,6 @@ parsesub: {
 	c = pgetc_eatbnl();
 	if (
 		(checkkwd & CHKEOFMARK) ||
-		c <= PEOA  ||
 		(c != '(' && c != '{' && !is_name(c) && !is_special(c))
 	) {
 		USTPUTC('$', out);
@@ -1397,13 +1387,9 @@ parsebackq: {
                                 if (pc != '\\' && pc != '`' && pc != '$'
                                     && (!synstack->dblquote || pc != '"'))
                                         STPUTC('\\', pout);
-				if (pc > PEOA) {
-					break;
-				}
-				/* fall through */
+				break;
 
 			case PEOF:
-			case PEOA:
 				synerror("EOF in backquote substitution");
 
 			case '\n':
