diff --git a/config.mk b/config.mk
index 7ae510e..3026d87 100644
--- a/config.mk
+++ b/config.mk
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ LIBS = -L/usr/lib -lc -L${X11LIB} -lm -lrt -lX11 -lutil -lXext -lXft \
        `pkg-config --libs freetype2`
 
 # flags
-CPPFLAGS = -DVERSION=\"${VERSION}\" -D_DEFAULT_SOURCE -D_XOPEN_SOURCE=600
+CPPFLAGS = -DVERSION=\"${VERSION}\" -D_XOPEN_SOURCE=600
 CFLAGS += -g -std=c99 -pedantic -Wall -Wvariadic-macros -Os ${INCS} ${CPPFLAGS}
 LDFLAGS += -g ${LIBS}
 
diff --git a/st.c b/st.c
index 68dc2be..39d3fee 100644
--- a/st.c
+++ b/st.c
@@ -2272,12 +2272,23 @@ strhandle(void) {
 
 void
 strparse(void) {
+	int c;
 	char *p = strescseq.buf;
 
 	strescseq.narg = 0;
 	strescseq.buf[strescseq.len] = '\0';
-	while(p && strescseq.narg < STR_ARG_SIZ)
-		strescseq.args[strescseq.narg++] = strsep(&p, ";");
+
+	if(*p == '\0')
+		return;
+
+	while(strescseq.narg < STR_ARG_SIZ) {
+		strescseq.args[strescseq.narg++] = p;
+		while((c = *p) != ';' && c != '\0')
+			++p;
+		if(c == '\0')
+			return;
+		*p++ = '\0';
+	}
 }
 
 void