diff --git a/lib/libc/gen/wordexp.c b/lib/libc/gen/wordexp.c
index bcab1f5e8154..b518b57ae5ea 100644
--- a/lib/libc/gen/wordexp.c
+++ b/lib/libc/gen/wordexp.c
@@ -114,15 +114,12 @@ we_askshell(const char *words, wordexp_t *we, int flags)
 	int status;			/* Child exit status */
 	int error;			/* Our return value */
 	int serrno;			/* errno to return */
-	char *ifs;			/* IFS env. var. */
 	char *np, *p;			/* Handy pointers */
 	char *nstrings;			/* Temporary for realloc() */
 	char **nwv;			/* Temporary for realloc() */
 	sigset_t newsigblock, oldsigblock;
 
 	serrno = errno;
-	if ((ifs = getenv("IFS")) == NULL)
-		ifs = " \t\n";
 
 	if (pipe(pdes) < 0)
 		return (WRDE_NOSPACE);	/* XXX */
@@ -150,7 +147,7 @@ we_askshell(const char *words, wordexp_t *we, int flags)
 		if (_dup2(pdes[1], STDOUT_FILENO) < 0)
 			_exit(1);
 		_close(pdes[1]);
-		if (asprintf(&cmd, "wordexp%c%s\n", *ifs, words) < 0)
+		if (asprintf(&cmd, "wordexp %s\n", words) < 0)
 			_exit(1);
 		if ((flags & WRDE_SHOWERR) == 0) {
 			if ((devnull = _open(_PATH_DEVNULL, O_RDWR, 0666)) < 0)
diff --git a/tools/regression/lib/libc/gen/test-wordexp.c b/tools/regression/lib/libc/gen/test-wordexp.c
index df8f8856f621..d94f870598df 100644
--- a/tools/regression/lib/libc/gen/test-wordexp.c
+++ b/tools/regression/lib/libc/gen/test-wordexp.c
@@ -208,6 +208,25 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	assert(strcmp(we.we_wordv[1], "world") == 0);
 	assert(we.we_wordv[2] == NULL);
 	wordfree(&we);
+	sa.sa_handler = SIG_DFL;
+	r = sigaction(SIGCHLD, &sa, NULL);
+	assert(r == 0);
+
+	/*
+	 * With IFS set to a non-default value (without depending on whether
+	 * IFS is inherited or not).
+	 */
+	r = setenv("IFS", ":", 1);
+	assert(r == 0);
+	r = wordexp("hello world", &we, 0);
+	assert(r == 0);
+	assert(we.we_wordc == 2);
+	assert(strcmp(we.we_wordv[0], "hello") == 0);
+	assert(strcmp(we.we_wordv[1], "world") == 0);
+	assert(we.we_wordv[2] == NULL);
+	wordfree(&we);
+	r = unsetenv("IFS");
+	assert(r == 0);
 
 	printf("PASS wordexp()\n");
 	printf("PASS wordfree()\n");