diff --git a/Src/utils.c b/Src/utils.c
index 5151b89a8..e03f41468 100644
--- a/Src/utils.c
+++ b/Src/utils.c
@@ -7162,11 +7162,13 @@ getkeystring(char *s, int *len, int how, int *misc)
      */
     DPUTS((how & (GETKEY_DOLLAR_QUOTE|GETKEY_UPDATE_OFFSET)) ==
 	  GETKEY_DOLLAR_QUOTE, "BUG: unterminated $' substitution");
+    if (how & GETKEY_SINGLE_CHAR) {
+	*misc = 0;
+	return s;
+    }
     *t = '\0';
     if (how & GETKEY_DOLLAR_QUOTE)
 	*tdest = '\0';
-    if (how & GETKEY_SINGLE_CHAR)
-	*misc = 0;
     else
 	*len = ((how & GETKEY_DOLLAR_QUOTE) ? tdest : t) - buf;
     return buf;