diff --git a/usr.bin/cmp/cmp.c b/usr.bin/cmp/cmp.c
index c762f1346abf..47f9b671985c 100644
--- a/usr.bin/cmp/cmp.c
+++ b/usr.bin/cmp/cmp.c
@@ -92,7 +92,6 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 			break;
 		case 's':		/* silent run */
 			sflag = true;
-			zflag = true;
 			break;
 		case 'x':		/* hex output */
 			lflag = true;
@@ -149,6 +148,9 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	skip1 = argc > 2 ? strtol(argv[2], NULL, 0) : 0;
 	skip2 = argc == 4 ? strtol(argv[3], NULL, 0) : 0;
 
+	if (sflag && skip1 == 0 && skip2 == 0)
+		zflag = true;
+
 	if (fd1 == -1) {
 		if (fd2 == -1) {
 			c_link(file1, skip1, file2, skip2);
diff --git a/usr.bin/cmp/tests/cmp_test2.sh b/usr.bin/cmp/tests/cmp_test2.sh
index 2b0d66382d36..7f9801fc92bd 100755
--- a/usr.bin/cmp/tests/cmp_test2.sh
+++ b/usr.bin/cmp/tests/cmp_test2.sh
@@ -62,8 +62,22 @@ symlink_body() {
 	atf_check -s not-exit:0 -o ignore -e ignore cmp -h a.lnk adup.lnk
 }
 
+atf_test_case pr252542
+pr252542_head()
+{
+	atf_set "descr" "Test cmp(1) -s with file offset skips"
+}
+pr252542_body()
+{
+	echo -n '1234567890' > a
+	echo -n 'abc567890' > b
+	atf_check -s exit:0 cmp -s a b 4 3
+	atf_check -s exit:1 -o ignore cmp -z a b 4 3
+}
+
 atf_init_test_cases()
 {
 	atf_add_test_case special
 	atf_add_test_case symlink
+	atf_add_test_case pr252542
 }