diff --git a/src/cmd/ksh93/sh/lex.c b/src/cmd/ksh93/sh/lex.c
index da21d9d56..b9e7ef480 100644
--- a/src/cmd/ksh93/sh/lex.c
+++ b/src/cmd/ksh93/sh/lex.c
@@ -998,31 +998,13 @@ int sh_lex(Lex_t* lp)
 				mode = ST_NESTED;
 				continue;
 			case S_MOD1:
-				if(oldmode(lp)==ST_QUOTE || oldmode(lp)==ST_NONE)
-				{
-					/* allow ' inside "${...}" */
-					if(c==':' && fcgetc(n)>0)
-					{
-						n = state[n];
-						fcseek(-LEN);
-					}
-					if(n==S_MOD1)
-					{
-						mode = ST_QUOTE;
-						continue;
-					}
-				}
-				/* FALL THRU */
+				mode = ST_QUOTE;
+				continue;
 			case S_MOD2:
 #if SHOPT_KIA
 				if(lp->kiafile)
 					refvar(lp,1);
 #endif /* SHOPT_KIA */
-				if(c == ':' || c == '-' || c == '+' || c == '=')
-				{
-					mode = ST_QUOTE;
-					continue;
-				}
 				if(c!=':' && fcgetc(n)>0)
 				{
 					if(n!=c)
diff --git a/src/cmd/ksh93/sh/macro.c b/src/cmd/ksh93/sh/macro.c
index 67c454925..5605a21bc 100644
--- a/src/cmd/ksh93/sh/macro.c
+++ b/src/cmd/ksh93/sh/macro.c
@@ -1628,8 +1628,7 @@ retry1:
 			}
 			else
 			{
-				int state = (!newops && mp->quote || c=='-' || c=='+' || c=='=') ? ST_QUOTE : ST_NESTED;
-				sh_lexskip(lp, RBRACE, 0, state);
+				sh_lexskip(lp, RBRACE, 0, sh_lexstates[ST_BRACE][c]==S_MOD1 ? ST_QUOTE : ST_NESTED);
 				stkseek(stkp,offset);
 			}
 			argp=stkptr(stkp,offset);
diff --git a/src/cmd/ksh93/tests/variables.sh b/src/cmd/ksh93/tests/variables.sh
index 4fa7a1df1..d378358bb 100755
--- a/src/cmd/ksh93/tests/variables.sh
+++ b/src/cmd/ksh93/tests/variables.sh
@@ -1044,7 +1044,7 @@ wait
 [[ $$ == ${.sh.pid} ]] || err_exit "\${.sh.pid} and \$$ differ in the parent shell (expected $$, got ${.sh.pid})"
 
 # ======
-# Parentheses after the '-', '+', and '=' expansion operators were causing syntax errors.
+# Parentheses after the '-', '+', '=', and '?' expansion operators were causing syntax errors.
 # Check both the unset variable case and the set variable case for each set of symbols.
 
 unset -v foo
@@ -1058,7 +1058,7 @@ do	for word in '(word)' 'w(or)d' '(wor)d' 'w(ord)' 'w(ord' 'wor)d'
 done
 
 foo=some_value
-for op in - :- = :=
+for op in - :- = := \? :\?
 do	for word in '(word)' 'w(or)d' '(wor)d' 'w(ord)' 'w(ord' 'wor)d'
 	do	exp=$(set +x; eval "echo \${foo${op}${word}}" 2>&1)
 		if	[[ $exp != "$foo" ]]
@@ -1077,5 +1077,15 @@ do	for word in '(word)' 'w(or)d' '(wor)d' 'w(ord)' 'w(ord' 'wor)d'
 	done
 done
 
+unset -v foo
+for op in \? :\?
+do	for word in '(word)' 'w(or)d' '(wor)d' 'w(ord)' 'w(ord' 'wor)d'
+	do	exp=$(set +x; eval "echo \${foo${op}${word}}" 2>&1)
+		if	[[ $exp != *": foo: $word" ]]
+		then	err_exit "\${foo${op}${word}} when foo is not set: expected *\": foo: $word\", got \"$exp\""
+		fi
+	done
+done
+
 # ======
 exit $((Errors<125?Errors:125))