diff --git a/gnu/lib/libdialog/kernel.c b/gnu/lib/libdialog/kernel.c
index d3793037e618..defb3218bea3 100644
--- a/gnu/lib/libdialog/kernel.c
+++ b/gnu/lib/libdialog/kernel.c
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ void attr_clear(WINDOW *win, int height, int width, chtype attr)
  */
 void print_autowrap(WINDOW *win, unsigned char *prompt, int height, int width, int maxwidth, int y, int x, int center, int rawmode)
 {
-  int first = 1, cur_x, cur_y, i;
+  int cur_x, cur_y, i;
   unsigned char tempstr[MAX_LEN+1], *word, *tempptr, *tempptr1;
   chtype ostuff[132], attrs = 0, init_bottom = 0;
 
@@ -244,13 +244,15 @@ void print_autowrap(WINDOW *win, unsigned char *prompt, int height, int width, i
     waddstr(win, tempstr);
   }
   else {
+    char *p = tempstr;
+
     /* Print prompt word by word, wrap around if necessary */
-    while ((word = strtok(first ? tempstr : NULL, "\t\n ")) != NULL) {
+    while ((word = strsep(&p, "\t\n ")) != NULL) {
       int loop;
       unsigned char sc;
 
-      if (first)    /* First iteration */
-        first = 0;
+      if (*word == '\0')
+	continue;
       do {
 	loop = 0;
 	if (cur_x+strlen(word) >= width+1) {    /* wrap around to next line */
diff --git a/gnu/lib/libdialog/prgbox.c b/gnu/lib/libdialog/prgbox.c
index 7082b6797025..11274e2f3236 100644
--- a/gnu/lib/libdialog/prgbox.c
+++ b/gnu/lib/libdialog/prgbox.c
@@ -78,13 +78,13 @@ int dialog_prgbox(unsigned char *title, const unsigned char *line, int height, i
 
   if (!use_shell) {
     char cmdline[MAX_LEN];
-    char *av[51], **ap = av, *val;
-    int first = 1;
+    char *av[51], **ap = av, *val, *p;
 
     strcpy(cmdline, line);
-    while ((val = strtok(first ? cmdline : NULL, " \t")) != NULL) {
-      first = 0;
-      *ap++ = val;
+    p = cmdline;
+    while ((val = strsep(&p," \t")) != NULL) {
+      if (*val != '\0')
+	*ap++ = val;
     }
     *ap = NULL;
     f = raw_popen(name = av[0], av, "r");