diff --git a/include/misc.h b/include/misc.h
index 48a891c..fa5402a 100644
--- a/include/misc.h
+++ b/include/misc.h
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ extern LastMsg last_sent_ctcp[2];
 	int	check_split	(char *, char *);
 	void	BX_userage		(char *, char *);
 	void	stats_k_grep_end (void);
-	char	*stripansicodes (const unsigned char *);
+	char	*stripansicodes (const char *);
 	char	*stripansi	(unsigned char *);
 	NickTab	*BX_gettabkey (int, int, char *);
 	void	BX_addtabkey (char *, char *, int);
diff --git a/source/misc.c b/source/misc.c
index c357158..8d5c563 100644
--- a/source/misc.c
+++ b/source/misc.c
@@ -1026,19 +1026,21 @@ struct {
 #endif
 
 /* Borrowed with permission from FLiER */
-char *stripansicodes(const unsigned char *line)
+char *stripansicodes(const char *line)
 {
-register unsigned char *tstr;
-register unsigned char *nstr;
-int  gotansi=0;
+	const char *tstr = line;
+	char *nstr = (char *)newline1;
+	int gotansi = 0;
 
-	tstr=(char *)line;
-	nstr=newline1;
 	while (*tstr) 
 	{
-		if (*tstr==0x1B || *tstr == 0x9b) 
-			gotansi=1;
-		if (gotansi && isalpha(*tstr)) 
+		/* Note that we use '\x9b' here, rather than 0x9b, because the 
+		 * former will have the correct value whether or not char is
+		 * signed.
+		 */
+		if (*tstr == '\x1b' || *tstr == '\x9b') 
+			gotansi = 1;
+		if (gotansi && isalpha((unsigned char)*tstr)) 
 			gotansi = 0;
 		else if (!gotansi) 
 		{
@@ -1051,7 +1053,7 @@ int  gotansi=0;
 	return (char *)newline1;
 }
 #else
-char *stripansicodes(const unsigned char *line)
+char *stripansicodes(const char *line)
 {
 	return line;
 }
diff --git a/source/status.c b/source/status.c
index c260dab..cac5479 100644
--- a/source/status.c
+++ b/source/status.c
@@ -935,7 +935,7 @@ void make_status(Window *win)
 			strcmp(buffer, win->wset->status_line[status_line]))
 
 		{
-			unsigned char *st = NULL;
+			char *st = NULL;
 			malloc_strcpy(&win->wset->status_line[status_line], buffer);
 			output_screen = win->screen;
 			st = cparse((line==3)?FORMAT_STATUS3_FSET:(line==2)?FORMAT_STATUS2_FSET:(line==1)?FORMAT_STATUS1_FSET:FORMAT_STATUS_FSET, buffer);