diff --git a/patchlevel.h b/patchlevel.h
index 98e714d..f0ee56e 100644
--- a/patchlevel.h
+++ b/patchlevel.h
@@ -25,6 +25,6 @@
    regexp `^#define[ 	]*PATCHLEVEL', since that's what support/mkversion.sh
    looks for to find the patch level (for the sccs version string). */
 
-#define PATCHLEVEL 17
+#define PATCHLEVEL 18
 
 #endif /* _PATCHLEVEL_H_ */
diff --git a/subst.c b/subst.c
index 8884b48..843c9d3 100644
--- a/subst.c
+++ b/subst.c
@@ -5112,6 +5112,8 @@ getpattern (value, quoted, expandpat)
 				      (quoted & (Q_HERE_DOCUMENT|Q_DOUBLE_QUOTES)) ? Q_PATQUOTE : quoted,
 				      (int *)NULL, (int *)NULL)
 	     : (WORD_LIST *)0;
+  if (l)
+    word_list_remove_quoted_nulls (l);
   pat = string_list (l);
   dispose_words (l);
   if (pat)