diff --git a/src/buffer.c b/src/buffer.c
index 34273d83b5dfe..7b02ddaf5741c 100644
--- a/src/buffer.c
+++ b/src/buffer.c
@@ -4062,7 +4062,8 @@ build_stl_str_hl(wp, out, outlen, fmt, use_sandbox, fillchar,
 		item[curitem].minwid = -syn_namen2id(t, (int)(s - t));
 		curitem++;
 	    }
-	    ++s;
+	    if (*s != NUL)
+		++s;
 	    continue;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/version.c b/src/version.c
index 1e4766a395dd0..c22172525db1c 100644
--- a/src/version.c
+++ b/src/version.c
@@ -738,6 +738,8 @@ static char *(features[]) =
 
 static int included_patches[] =
 {   /* Add new patch number below this line */
+/**/
+    54,
 /**/
     53,
 /**/