diff --git a/src/browser.c b/src/browser.c
index 5f84060c..b61bfdd5 100644
--- a/src/browser.c
+++ b/src/browser.c
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ char *do_browser(char *path)
 	    /* If we are moving up one level, remember where we came from, so
 	     * this directory can be highlighted and easily reentered. */
 	    if (strcmp(tail(filelist[selected]), "..") == 0)
-		present_name = striponedir(filelist[selected]);
+		present_name = strip_last_component(filelist[selected]);
 
 	    /* Try opening and reading the selected directory. */
 	    path = mallocstrcpy(path, filelist[selected]);
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@ char *do_browse_from(const char *inpath)
      * at all.  If so, we'll just pass the current directory to
      * do_browser(). */
     if (stat(path, &st) == -1 || !S_ISDIR(st.st_mode)) {
-	path = free_and_assign(path, striponedir(path));
+	path = free_and_assign(path, strip_last_component(path));
 
 	if (stat(path, &st) == -1 || !S_ISDIR(st.st_mode)) {
 	    char * currentdir = charalloc(PATH_MAX + 1);
@@ -781,21 +781,17 @@ void do_last_file(void)
     selected = filelist_len - 1;
 }
 
-/* Strip one directory from the end of path, and return the stripped
- * path.  The returned string is dynamically allocated, and should be
- * freed. */
-char *striponedir(const char *path)
+/* Strip one element from the end of path, and return the stripped path.
+ * The returned string is dynamically allocated, and should be freed. */
+char *strip_last_component(const char *path)
 {
-    char *retval, *tmp;
+    char *copy = mallocstrcpy(NULL, path);
+    char *last_slash = strrchr(copy, '/');
 
-    retval = mallocstrcpy(NULL, path);
+    if (last_slash != NULL)
+	*last_slash = '\0';
 
-    tmp = strrchr(retval, '/');
-
-    if (tmp != NULL)
-	null_at(&retval, tmp - retval);
-
-    return retval;
+    return copy;
 }
 
 #endif /* !DISABLE_BROWSER */
diff --git a/src/proto.h b/src/proto.h
index 365388e2..3a917a40 100644
--- a/src/proto.h
+++ b/src/proto.h
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ void do_filesearch(void);
 void do_fileresearch(void);
 void do_first_file(void);
 void do_last_file(void);
-char *striponedir(const char *path);
+char *strip_last_component(const char *path);
 #endif
 
 /* Most functions in chars.c. */