diff --git a/basename.c b/basename.c
index b83f387c2..c15afd533 100644
--- a/basename.c
+++ b/basename.c
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ extern int basename_main(int argc, char **argv)
 		argv++;
 		n = strlen(*argv);
 		m = strlen(s);
-		if (m>=n && strncmp(s+m-n, *argv, n)==0)
+		if (m>n && strncmp(s+m-n, *argv, n)==0)
 			s[m-n] = '\0';
 	}
 	puts(s);
diff --git a/coreutils/basename.c b/coreutils/basename.c
index b83f387c2..c15afd533 100644
--- a/coreutils/basename.c
+++ b/coreutils/basename.c
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ extern int basename_main(int argc, char **argv)
 		argv++;
 		n = strlen(*argv);
 		m = strlen(s);
-		if (m>=n && strncmp(s+m-n, *argv, n)==0)
+		if (m>n && strncmp(s+m-n, *argv, n)==0)
 			s[m-n] = '\0';
 	}
 	puts(s);