diff --git a/st.c b/st.c
index 4af67caf56..1d04f605a7 100644
--- a/st.c
+++ b/st.c
@@ -869,8 +869,11 @@ st_strcasecmp(const char *s1, const char *s2)
     while (1) {
         c1 = (unsigned char)*s1++;
         c2 = (unsigned char)*s2++;
-        if (!c1) break;
-        if (!c2) break;
+        if (c1 == '\0' || c2 == '\0') {
+            if (c1 != '\0') return 1;
+            if (c2 != '\0') return -1;
+            return 0;
+        }
         if ((unsigned int)(c1 - 'A') <= ('Z' - 'A')) c1 += 'a' - 'A';
         if ((unsigned int)(c2 - 'A') <= ('Z' - 'A')) c2 += 'a' - 'A';
         if (c1 != c2) {
@@ -880,11 +883,6 @@ st_strcasecmp(const char *s1, const char *s2)
                 return -1;
         }
     }
-    if (c1 != '\0')
-        return 1;
-    if (c2 != '\0')
-        return -1;
-    return 0;
 }
 
 int
@@ -895,8 +893,11 @@ st_strncasecmp(const char *s1, const char *s2, size_t n)
     while (n--) {
         c1 = (unsigned char)*s1++;
         c2 = (unsigned char)*s2++;
-        if (!c1) break;
-        if (!c2) break;
+        if (c1 == '\0' || c2 == '\0') {
+            if (c1 != '\0') return 1;
+            if (c2 != '\0') return -1;
+            return 0;
+        }
         if ((unsigned int)(c1 - 'A') <= ('Z' - 'A')) c1 += 'a' - 'A';
         if ((unsigned int)(c2 - 'A') <= ('Z' - 'A')) c2 += 'a' - 'A';
         if (c1 != c2) {
@@ -906,12 +907,6 @@ st_strncasecmp(const char *s1, const char *s2, size_t n)
                 return -1;
         }
     }
-    if (n == 0)
-        return 0;
-    if (c1 != '\0')
-        return 1;
-    if (c2 != '\0')
-        return -1;
     return 0;
 }