diff --git a/texk/web2c/ctangleboot.cin b/texk/web2c/ctangleboot.cin
index f6991bb3de..d659410f9c 100644
--- a/texk/web2c/ctangleboot.cin
+++ b/texk/web2c/ctangleboot.cin
@@ -1069,7 +1069,7 @@ static void
 out_char(
 eight_bits cur_char)
 {
-char*j,*k;
+char*j;
 restart:
 switch(cur_char){
 case'\n':if(protect&&out_state!=verbatim)C_putc(' ');
@@ -1081,8 +1081,8 @@ flush_buffer();if(out_state!=verbatim)out_state= normal;break;
 #line 703 "cwebdir/ctangle.w"
 case identifier:
 if(out_state==num_or_id)C_putc(' ');
-for(j= (cur_val+name_dir)->byte_start,k= (cur_val+name_dir+1)->byte_start;
-j<k;j++)
+for(j= (cur_val+name_dir)->byte_start;
+j<(cur_val+name_dir+1)->byte_start;j++)
 #line 212 "cwebdir/ctang-w2c.ch"
 if(ishigh(*j)){
 
@@ -1118,8 +1118,8 @@ C_printf("\n#line %d \"",(int)a);
 
 cur_val= (int)(*cur_byte++-0200)*0400;
 cur_val+= *cur_byte++;
-for(j= (cur_val+name_dir)->byte_start,k= (cur_val+name_dir+1)->byte_start;
-j<k;j++){
+for(j= (cur_val+name_dir)->byte_start;
+j<(cur_val+name_dir+1)->byte_start;j++){
 if(*j=='\\'||*j=='"')C_putc('\\');
 C_putc(*j);
 }
diff --git a/texk/web2c/cwebboot.cin b/texk/web2c/cwebboot.cin
index 78f1c6c04c..8889fceeda 100644
--- a/texk/web2c/cwebboot.cin
+++ b/texk/web2c/cwebboot.cin
@@ -1292,7 +1292,7 @@ if(ispref){
 *pfirst= first+(ptrdiff_t)(ss-s);
 return extension;
 }else return equal;
-else return(q->byte_start==(q+1)->byte_start)?equal:prefix;
+else return length(q)==0?equal:prefix;
 case extension:
 if(!ispref)return bad_extension;
 first+= ss-s;
diff --git a/texk/web2c/cwebdir/common.c b/texk/web2c/cwebdir/common.c
index cc1889ca28..78773eed8f 100644
--- a/texk/web2c/cwebdir/common.c
+++ b/texk/web2c/cwebdir/common.c
@@ -1069,7 +1069,7 @@ if(ispref){
 *pfirst= first+(ptrdiff_t)(ss-s);
 return extension;
 }else return equal;
-else return(q->byte_start==(q+1)->byte_start)?equal:prefix;
+else return length(q)==0?equal:prefix;
 case extension:
 if(!ispref)return bad_extension;
 first+= ss-s;
diff --git a/texk/web2c/cwebdir/common.w b/texk/web2c/cwebdir/common.w
index 593a9efeb8..74133d57e4 100644
--- a/texk/web2c/cwebdir/common.w
+++ b/texk/web2c/cwebdir/common.w
@@ -977,7 +977,7 @@ name_pointer r) /* section name being compared */
           *pfirst=first+(ptrdiff_t)(ss-s);
           return extension; /* null extension */
         } else return equal;
-      else return (q->byte_start==(q+1)->byte_start)? equal: prefix;
+      else return length(q)==0? equal: prefix;
     case extension:
       if (!ispref) return bad_extension;
       first += ss-s;
diff --git a/texk/web2c/cwebdir/ctangle.c b/texk/web2c/cwebdir/ctangle.c
index a7ec5e28ab..9a123acec3 100644
--- a/texk/web2c/cwebdir/ctangle.c
+++ b/texk/web2c/cwebdir/ctangle.c
@@ -777,7 +777,7 @@ static void
 out_char(
 eight_bits cur_char)
 {
-char*j,*k;
+char*j;
 restart:
 switch(cur_char){
 case'\n':if(protect&&out_state!=verbatim)C_putc(' ');
@@ -788,8 +788,8 @@ flush_buffer();if(out_state!=verbatim)out_state= normal;break;
 
 case identifier:
 if(out_state==num_or_id)C_putc(' ');
-for(j= (cur_val+name_dir)->byte_start,k= (cur_val+name_dir+1)->byte_start;
-j<k;j++)
+for(j= (cur_val+name_dir)->byte_start;
+j<(cur_val+name_dir+1)->byte_start;j++)
 if((eight_bits)(*j)<0200)C_putc(*j);
 
 else C_printf("%s",translit[(eight_bits)(*j)-0200]);
@@ -816,8 +816,8 @@ C_printf("\n#line %d \"",(int)a);
 
 cur_val= (int)(*cur_byte++-0200)*0400;
 cur_val+= *cur_byte++;
-for(j= (cur_val+name_dir)->byte_start,k= (cur_val+name_dir+1)->byte_start;
-j<k;j++){
+for(j= (cur_val+name_dir)->byte_start;
+j<(cur_val+name_dir+1)->byte_start;j++){
 if(*j=='\\'||*j=='"')C_putc('\\');
 C_putc(*j);
 }
diff --git a/texk/web2c/cwebdir/ctangle.w b/texk/web2c/cwebdir/ctangle.w
index 15d37c9d31..a36bee69fe 100644
--- a/texk/web2c/cwebdir/ctangle.w
+++ b/texk/web2c/cwebdir/ctangle.w
@@ -636,7 +636,7 @@ static void
 out_char(
 eight_bits cur_char)
 {
-  char *j, *k; /* pointer into |byte_mem| */
+  char *j; /* pointer into |byte_mem| */
 restart:
     switch (cur_char) {
       case '\n': if (protect && out_state!=verbatim) C_putc(' ');
@@ -702,8 +702,8 @@ static char translit[0200][translit_length];
 @ @<Case of an identifier@>=@t\1\quad@>
 case identifier:
   if (out_state==num_or_id) C_putc(' ');
-  for (j=(cur_val+name_dir)->byte_start, k=(cur_val+name_dir+1)->byte_start;
-       j<k; j++)
+  for (j=(cur_val+name_dir)->byte_start;
+       j<(cur_val+name_dir+1)->byte_start; j++)
     if ((eight_bits)(*j)<0200) C_putc(*j);
 @^high-bit character handling@>
     else C_printf("%s",translit[(eight_bits)(*j)-0200]);
@@ -725,8 +725,8 @@ case section_number:
 @:line}{\.{\#line}@>
     cur_val=(int)(*cur_byte++-0200)*0400;
     cur_val+=*cur_byte++; /* points to the file name */
-    for (j=(cur_val+name_dir)->byte_start, k=(cur_val+name_dir+1)->byte_start;
-         j<k; j++) {
+    for (j=(cur_val+name_dir)->byte_start;
+         j<(cur_val+name_dir+1)->byte_start; j++) {
       if (*j=='\\' || *j=='"') C_putc('\\');
       C_putc(*j);
     }
diff --git a/texk/web2c/cwebdir/cweave.w b/texk/web2c/cwebdir/cweave.w
index b2b4206deb..1f2529e7d1 100644
--- a/texk/web2c/cwebdir/cweave.w
+++ b/texk/web2c/cwebdir/cweave.w
@@ -1496,9 +1496,9 @@ out_name(
 name_pointer p,
 boolean quote_xalpha)
 {
-  char *k, *k_end=(p+1)->byte_start; /* pointers into |byte_mem| */
+  char *k; /* pointer into |byte_mem| */
   out('{');
-  for (k=p->byte_start; k<k_end; k++) {
+  for (k=p->byte_start; k<(p+1)->byte_start; k++) {
     if (isxalpha(*k) && quote_xalpha) out('\\');
 @.\\\$@>
 @.\\\_@>