diff --git a/common/cmd_echo.c b/common/cmd_echo.c
index 43a6da5..1e499fb 100644
--- a/common/cmd_echo.c
+++ b/common/cmd_echo.c
@@ -30,17 +30,31 @@
 	int putnl = 1;
 
 	for (i = 1; i < argc; i++) {
-		char *p = argv[i], c;
+		char *p = argv[i];
+		char *nls; /* new-line suppression */
 
 		if (i > 1)
 			putc(' ');
-		while ((c = *p++) != '\0') {
-			if (c == '\\' && *p == 'c') {
-				putnl = 0;
-				p++;
-			} else {
-				putc(c);
+
+		nls = strstr(p, "\\c");
+		if (nls) {
+			char *prenls = p;
+
+			putnl = 0;
+			/*
+			 * be paranoid and guess that someone might
+			 * say \c more than once
+			 */
+			while (nls) {
+				*nls = '\0';
+				puts(prenls);
+				*nls = '\\';
+				prenls = nls + 2;
+				nls = strstr(prenls, "\\c");
 			}
+			puts(prenls);
+		} else {
+			puts(p);
 		}
 	}