--- src/usr.bin/make/var.c	2005/03/12 12:00:31	1.143
+++ src/usr.bin/make/var.c	2005/03/12 12:01:03	1.144
@@ -917,30 +917,20 @@ modifier_M(const char mod[], const char
 	char		*ptr;
 	char		*newValue;
 
-	for (cur = mod + 1; *cur != '\0'; cur++) {
-		if (cur[0] == endc) {
-			break;
-		} else if (cur[0] == ':') {
-			break;
-		} else if ((cur[0] == '\\') &&
-			   (cur[1] == ':' || cur[1] == endc)) {
-			cur++;
-		}
-	}
-	end = cur;
-
 	/*
 	 * Compress the \:'s out of the pattern, so allocate enough
 	 * room to hold the uncompressed pattern and compress the
-	 * pattern into the space. (note that cur started at mod+1
-	 * so cur-mod takes the null byte into account)
+	 * pattern into that space.
 	 */
-	patt = emalloc(cur - mod);
+	patt = estrdup(mod);
 	ptr = patt;
-	for (cur = mod + 1; cur != end; cur++) {
+	for (cur = mod + 1; cur != '\0'; cur++) {
+		if ((cur[0] == endc) || (cur[0] == ':')) {
+			break;
+		}
 		if ((cur[0] == '\\') &&
-		    (cur[1] == ':' || cur[1] == endc)) {
-			cur++;
+		    ((cur[1] == endc) || (cur[1] == ':'))) {
+			cur++;	/* skip over backslash */
 		}
 		*ptr = *cur;
 		ptr++;
@@ -954,9 +944,9 @@ modifier_M(const char mod[], const char
 	}
 	free(patt);
 
-	*consumed += (end - mod);
+	*consumed += (cur - mod);
 
-	if (*end == ':') {
+	if (*cur == ':') {
 		*consumed += 1;	/* include colon as part of modifier */
 	}