diff --git a/arrayfunc.c b/arrayfunc.c
--- a/arrayfunc.c
+++ b/arrayfunc.c
@@ -650,7 +650,7 @@ assign_assoc_from_kvlist (var, nlist, h, flags)
 	  continue;
 	}	      
 
-      aval = expand_subscript_string (v, 0);
+      aval = expand_assignment_string_to_string (v, 0);
       if (aval == 0)
 	{
 	  aval = (char *)xmalloc (1);
@@ -842,7 +842,7 @@ assign_compound_array_list (var, nlist, flags)
       /* See above; we need to expand the value here */
       if (assoc_p (var))
 	{
-	  val = expand_subscript_string (val, 0);
+	  val = expand_assignment_string_to_string (val, 0);
 	  if (val == 0)
 	    {
 	      val = (char *)xmalloc (1);
@@ -1030,7 +1030,7 @@ expand_and_quote_assoc_word (w, type)
     nword[i++] = w[ind++];
   nword[i++] = w[ind++];
 
-  t = expand_subscript_string (w+ind, 0);
+  t = expand_assignment_string_to_string (w+ind, 0);
   s = (t && strchr (t, CTLESC)) ? quote_escapes (t) : t;
   value = sh_single_quote (s ? s : "");
   if (s != t)
diff --git a/patchlevel.h b/patchlevel.h
--- 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 23
+#define PATCHLEVEL 24
 
 #endif /* _PATCHLEVEL_H_ */
diff --git a/subst.c b/subst.c
--- a/subst.c
+++ b/subst.c
@@ -10802,7 +10802,11 @@ expand_subscript_string (string, quoted)
   oe = expand_no_split_dollar_star;
   ret = (char *)NULL;
 
+#if 0
   td.flags = W_NOPROCSUB|W_NOTILDE|W_NOSPLIT2;	/* XXX - W_NOCOMSUB? */
+#else
+  td.flags = W_NOPROCSUB|W_NOSPLIT2;	/* XXX - W_NOCOMSUB? */
+#endif
   td.word = savestring (string);		/* in case it's freed on error */
 
   expand_no_split_dollar_star = 1;