diff --git a/main/editline/term.c b/main/editline/term.c
index 03623be21862f3149c335051f593cd0e4855d1ba..6814cc4caa469ded5796e449cf47d42c335795ba 100644
--- a/main/editline/term.c
+++ b/main/editline/term.c
@@ -428,7 +428,7 @@ term_alloc(EditLine *el, const struct termcapstr *t, const char *cap)
          */
 	tlen = 0;
 	for (tmp = tlist; tmp < &tlist[T_str]; tmp++)
-		if (*tmp != NULL && *tmp != '\0' && *tmp != *str) {
+		if (*tmp != NULL && **tmp != '\0' && *tmp != *str) {
 			char *ptr;
 
 			for (ptr = *tmp; *ptr != '\0'; termbuf[tlen++] = *ptr++)