diff --git a/bin/sh/expand.c b/bin/sh/expand.c
index d82f4595496b..f1d0d690b06e 100644
--- a/bin/sh/expand.c
+++ b/bin/sh/expand.c
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ exptilde(p, flag)
 		goto lose;
 	*p = c;
 	while ((c = *home++) != '\0') {
-		if (quotes && c >= 0 && SQSYNTAX[(int)c] == CCTL)
+		if (quotes && SQSYNTAX[(int)c] == CCTL)
 			STPUTC(CTLESC, expdest);
 		STPUTC(c, expdest);
 	}
@@ -478,7 +478,7 @@ expbackq(cmd, quoted, flag)
 		}
 		lastc = *p++;
 		if (lastc != '\0') {
-			if (quotes && lastc >= 0 && syntax[(int)lastc] == CCTL)
+			if (quotes && syntax[(int)lastc] == CCTL)
 				STPUTC(CTLESC, dest);
 			STPUTC(lastc, dest);
 		}
@@ -694,7 +694,7 @@ evalvar(p, flag)
 			}
 			else {
 				while (*val) {
-					if (quotes && *val >= 0 &&
+					if (quotes &&
 					    syntax[(int)*val] == CCTL)
 						STPUTC(CTLESC, expdest);
 					STPUTC(*val++, expdest);
@@ -866,7 +866,7 @@ varvalue(name, quoted, allow_split)
 	if (allow_split) { \
 		syntax = quoted? DQSYNTAX : BASESYNTAX; \
 		while (*p) { \
-			if (*p >= 0 && syntax[(int)*p] == CCTL) \
+			if (syntax[(int)*p] == CCTL) \
 				STPUTC(CTLESC, expdest); \
 			STPUTC(*p++, expdest); \
 		} \
diff --git a/bin/sh/parser.c b/bin/sh/parser.c
index e1c05720a167..1dc5d4b8547f 100644
--- a/bin/sh/parser.c
+++ b/bin/sh/parser.c
@@ -977,7 +977,7 @@ readtoken1(firstc, syntax, eofmark, striptabs)
 					    c != '`' && c != '$' &&
 					    (c != '"' || eofmark != NULL))
 						USTPUTC('\\', out);
-					if (c >= 0 && SQSYNTAX[c] == CCTL)
+					if (SQSYNTAX[c] == CCTL)
 						USTPUTC(CTLESC, out);
 					else if (eofmark == NULL)
 						USTPUTC(CTLQUOTEMARK, out);
@@ -1496,7 +1496,7 @@ noexpand(text)
 			continue;
 		if (c == CTLESC)
 			p++;
-		else if (c >= 0 && BASESYNTAX[(int)c] == CCTL)
+		else if (BASESYNTAX[(int)c] == CCTL)
 			return 0;
 	}
 	return 1;