diff --git a/src/frontend/com_alias.c b/src/frontend/com_alias.c
index 2aa4cbf1a..c1d06cc13 100644
--- a/src/frontend/com_alias.c
+++ b/src/frontend/com_alias.c
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ asubst(wordlist *wlist)
 
     word = wlist->wl_word;
     if (*word == '\\') {
-        wlist->wl_word++;       /* FIXME !!!, free() will fail !!! */
+        while ((word[0] = word[1]) != '\0')
+            word++;
         return (NULL);
     }