diff --git a/Changelog b/Changelog
index 64cd1e3..3d70bf8 100644
--- a/Changelog
+++ b/Changelog
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 [Changes 1.2.2]
 
+* Unsetting CMDCHARS sets it back to the default. (caf)
+
 * Fix a double-free bug when a window on an alternate screen queries an exec
   process. (caf)
 
diff --git a/source/commands.c b/source/commands.c
index 4865e0f..c990aca 100644
--- a/source/commands.c
+++ b/source/commands.c
@@ -4111,21 +4111,18 @@ void command_completion(char unused, char *not_used)
 	
 	char	*line = NULL,
 		*com,
-		*cmdchars,
 		*rest,
 		firstcmdchar[2] = "/";
+	const char *cmdchars = get_string_var(CMDCHARS_VAR);
 	const IrcCommand *command;
 #ifdef WANT_DLL
 	IrcCommandDll	*dll = NULL;
 #endif
 	char	buffer[BIG_BUFFER_SIZE];
 	
-	
 	malloc_strcpy(&line, get_input());
 	if ((com = next_arg(line, &rest)) != NULL)
 	{
-		if (!(cmdchars = get_string_var(CMDCHARS_VAR)))
-			cmdchars = DEFAULT_CMDCHARS;
 		if (*com == '/' || strchr(cmdchars, *com))
 		{
 			*firstcmdchar = *cmdchars;
@@ -4439,20 +4436,20 @@ void BX_parse_line (const char *name, char *org_line, const char *args, int hist
  * characters or anything (beyond those specific for a given command being
  * executed). 
  */
-int BX_parse_command(register char *line, int hist_flag, char *sub_args)
+int BX_parse_command(char *line, int hist_flag, char *sub_args)
 {
-static	unsigned int	 level = 0;
-	unsigned int	display,
-			old_display_var;
-		char	*cmdchars;
-	const	char	*com;
-		char	*this_cmd = NULL;
-		int	args_flag = 0,
-			add_to_hist,
-			cmdchar_used = 0;
-		int	noisy = 1;
+	static unsigned int level = 0;
+	unsigned int display,
+		old_display_var;
+	const char *cmdchars = get_string_var(CMDCHARS_VAR);
+	const char *com;
+	char *this_cmd = NULL;
+	int args_flag = 0,
+		add_to_hist,
+		cmdchar_used = 0;
+	int noisy = 1;
 
-		int	old_alias_debug = alias_debug;
+	int old_alias_debug = alias_debug;
 				
 	if (!line || !*line)
 		return 0;
@@ -4461,10 +4458,6 @@ static	unsigned int	 level = 0;
 		debugyell("Executing [%d] %s", level, line);
 	level++;
 
-	if (!(cmdchars = get_string_var(CMDCHARS_VAR)))
-		cmdchars = DEFAULT_CMDCHARS;
-
-
 	this_cmd = LOCAL_COPY(line);
 	set_current_command(this_cmd);
 	add_to_hist = 1;
diff --git a/source/functions.c b/source/functions.c
index 88420d1..4c45b08 100644
--- a/source/functions.c
+++ b/source/functions.c
@@ -1183,12 +1183,9 @@ static	char	*alias_target 		(void)
 
 static	char	*alias_cmdchar 		(void)
 {
-	char	*cmdchars, tmp[2];
+	const char *cmdchars = get_string_var(CMDCHARS_VAR);
+	char tmp[2] = { cmdchars[0], 0 };
 
-	if ((cmdchars = get_string_var(CMDCHARS_VAR)) == NULL)
-		cmdchars = DEFAULT_CMDCHARS;
-	tmp[0] = cmdchars[0];
-	tmp[1] = 0;
 	return m_strdup(tmp);
 }
 
diff --git a/source/input.c b/source/input.c
index fc64b15..7dbe233 100644
--- a/source/input.c
+++ b/source/input.c
@@ -983,14 +983,11 @@ BUILT_IN_KEYBINDING(toggle_insert_mode)
 
 BUILT_IN_KEYBINDING(input_msgreply)
 {
-char *cmdchar;
-char *line, *cmd, *t;
-char *snick;
-NickTab *nick = NULL;
-int got_space = 0;
-
-	if (!(cmdchar = get_string_var(CMDCHARS_VAR))) 
-		cmdchar = DEFAULT_CMDCHARS;
+	const char *cmdchar = get_string_var(CMDCHARS_VAR);
+	char *line, *cmd, *t;
+	char *snick;
+	NickTab *nick = NULL;
+	int got_space = 0;
 
 	t = line = m_strdup(get_input());
 	if (t)
@@ -1172,14 +1169,10 @@ BUILT_IN_KEYBINDING(send_line)
 	}
 	else
 	{
-		char	*line,
-			*cmdchar,
-			*tmp = NULL;
+		const char *cmdchar = get_string_var(CMDCHARS_VAR);
+		char *line = get_input();
+		char *tmp = m_strdup(line);
 
-		line = get_input();
-		if (!(cmdchar = get_string_var(CMDCHARS_VAR)))
-			cmdchar = "/";
-		malloc_strcpy(&tmp, line);
 		if (line && (*line != *cmdchar) && get_int_var(NICK_COMPLETION_VAR) && !current_window->query_nick)
 		{
 			char auto_comp_char;
@@ -2523,17 +2516,17 @@ char	buffer[BIG_BUFFER_SIZE+1];
 
 BUILT_IN_KEYBINDING(tab_completion)
 {
-int	count = 0, 
-	wcount = 0;
-enum completion type = NO_COMPLETION;
-char *inp = NULL;
-char *possible = NULL, *old_pos = NULL;
-char *cmdchar;
-char *suggested = NULL;
-int got_space = 0;
-char *get = NULL;
-Ext_Name_Type *extcomp = ext_completion;
-
+	int	count = 0, 
+		wcount = 0;
+	enum completion type = NO_COMPLETION;
+	char *inp = NULL;
+	char *possible = NULL, *old_pos = NULL;
+	const char *cmdchar = get_string_var(CMDCHARS_VAR);
+	char *suggested = NULL;
+	int got_space = 0;
+	char *get = NULL;
+	Ext_Name_Type *extcomp = ext_completion;
+	
 	/* 
 	 * is this the != second word, then just complete from the 
 	 * channel nicks. if it is the second word, grab the first word, and 
@@ -2546,8 +2539,7 @@ Ext_Name_Type *extcomp = ext_completion;
 	if (*inp && inp[strlen(inp)-1] == ' ')
 		got_space = 1;
 	wcount = word_count(inp);
-	if (!(cmdchar = get_string_var(CMDCHARS_VAR)))
-		cmdchar = "/";
+
 	switch(wcount)
 	{
 		case 0:
diff --git a/source/vars.c b/source/vars.c
index ea32975..a66ceef 100644
--- a/source/vars.c
+++ b/source/vars.c
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ static	void	set_clock_format (Window *, char *, int);
 static	void	set_dcc_timeout(Window *, char *, int);
 	void	BX_set_scrollback_size (Window *, char *, int);
 static	void	set_use_socks(Window *, char *, int);
+static	void	set_cmdchars(Window *, char *, int);
 
 static	void	set_mangle_inbound (Window *, char *, int);
 static	void	set_mangle_outbound (Window *, char *, int);
@@ -166,7 +167,7 @@ static	IrcVariable irc_variable[] =
 	{ "CLOCK_FORMAT",0,		STR_TYPE_VAR,	0, NULL, set_clock_format, 0, 0 },
 	{ "CLONE_CHECK",0,		INT_TYPE_VAR,	0, NULL, NULL, 0, 0 }, 
 	{ "CLONE_COUNT",0,		INT_TYPE_VAR,	0, NULL, NULL, 0, 0 },
-	{ "CMDCHARS",0,			STR_TYPE_VAR,	0, NULL, NULL, 0, 0 },
+	{ "CMDCHARS",0,			STR_TYPE_VAR,	0, NULL, set_cmdchars, 0, 0 },
 	{ "COLOR",0,			BOOL_TYPE_VAR,	1, NULL, NULL, 0, 0 },
 	{ "COMMAND_MODE",0,		BOOL_TYPE_VAR,	DEFAULT_COMMAND_MODE, NULL, NULL, 0, 0 },
 	{ "COMMENT_BREAKAGE",0,		BOOL_TYPE_VAR,	0, NULL, NULL, 0, 0 },
@@ -1561,6 +1562,11 @@ extern int use_socks;
 		use_socks = 0;
 }
 
+/* CMDCHARS cannot be unset - unsetting it just sets it back to the default. */
+static void	set_cmdchars(Window *win, char *value, int unused)
+{
+	set_string_var(CMDCHARS_VAR, value ? value : DEFAULT_CMDCHARS);
+}
 
 int	parse_mangle (char *value, int nvalue, char **rv)
 {