diff --git a/shell/ash_test/ash-vars/var_bash4.right b/shell/ash_test/ash-vars/var_bash4.right
index 600e853..0ef1bf6 100644
--- a/shell/ash_test/ash-vars/var_bash4.right
+++ b/shell/ash_test/ash-vars/var_bash4.right
@@ -1,23 +1,40 @@
 Source:        a*b\*c
 Replace str:   _\\_\z_
 Pattern:       single backslash and star: "replace literal star"
-In assignment: a_\_z_b\*c
 Unquoted:      a_\_z_b\*c
+Unquoted =:    a_\_z_b\*c
 Quoted:        a_\_\z_b\*c
+Quoted =:      a_\_\z_b\*c
 Pattern:       double backslash and star: "replace backslash and everything after it"
-In assignment: a*b_\_z_
 Unquoted:      a*b_\_z_
+Unquoted =:    a*b_\_z_
 Quoted:        a*b_\_\z_
+Quoted =:      a*b_\_\z_
 
 Source:        a\bc
 Replace str:   _\\_\z_
 Pattern:       single backslash and b: "replace b"
-In assignment: a\_\_z_c
 Unquoted:      a\_\_z_c
+Unquoted =:    a\_\_z_c
 Quoted:        a\_\_\z_c
+Quoted =:      a\_\_\z_c
 Pattern:       double backslash and b: "replace backslash and b"
-In assignment: a_\_z_c
 Unquoted:      a_\_z_c
+Unquoted =:    a_\_z_c
 Quoted:        a_\_\z_c
+Quoted =:      a_\_\z_c
+
+Source:        a\bc
+Replace str:   _\\_\z_ (as variable $s)
+Pattern:       single backslash and b: "replace b"
+Unquoted:      a\_\\_\z_c
+Unquoted =:    a\_\\_\z_c
+Quoted:        a\_\\_\z_c
+Quoted =:      a\_\\_\z_c
+Pattern:       double backslash and b: "replace backslash and b"
+Unquoted:      a_\\_\z_c
+Unquoted =:    a_\\_\z_c
+Quoted:        a_\\_\z_c
+Quoted =:      a_\\_\z_c
 
 Done: 0
diff --git a/shell/ash_test/ash-vars/var_bash4.tests b/shell/ash_test/ash-vars/var_bash4.tests
index d547061..32aa2b3 100755
--- a/shell/ash_test/ash-vars/var_bash4.tests
+++ b/shell/ash_test/ash-vars/var_bash4.tests
@@ -6,23 +6,30 @@
 # even in quotes.
 #
 # bash4 (and probably bash3 too): "Quoted:" results are different from
-# unquoted and assignment expansions - they have a backslash before z.
+# unquoted expansions - they have a backslash before z.
+#
+# The difference only exists if repl is a literal. If it is a variable:
+# ${v/.../$s}, then all backslashes are preserved in both cases.
 
 v='a*b\*c'
 echo 'Source:       ' "$v"
 echo 'Replace str:  ' '_\\_\z_'
 
 echo 'Pattern:      ' 'single backslash and star: "replace literal star"'
-r=${v/\*/_\\_\z_}
-echo 'In assignment:' "$r"
 echo 'Unquoted:     ' ${v/\*/_\\_\z_}
+r=${v/\*/_\\_\z_}
+echo 'Unquoted =:   ' "$r"
 echo 'Quoted:       ' "${v/\*/_\\_\z_}"
+r="${v/\*/_\\_\z_}"
+echo 'Quoted =:     ' "$r"
 
 echo 'Pattern:      ' 'double backslash and star: "replace backslash and everything after it"'
-r=${v/\\*/_\\_\z_}
-echo 'In assignment:' "$r"
 echo 'Unquoted:     '  ${v/\\*/_\\_\z_}
+r=${v/\\*/_\\_\z_}
+echo 'Unquoted =:   ' "$r"
 echo 'Quoted:       ' "${v/\\*/_\\_\z_}"
+r="${v/\\*/_\\_\z_}"
+echo 'Quoted =:     ' "$r"
 
 echo
 
@@ -31,16 +38,43 @@
 echo 'Replace str:  ' '_\\_\z_'
 
 echo 'Pattern:      ' 'single backslash and b: "replace b"'
-r=${v/\b/_\\_\z_}
-echo 'In assignment:' "$r"
 echo 'Unquoted:     '  ${v/\b/_\\_\z_}
+r=${v/\b/_\\_\z_}
+echo 'Unquoted =:   ' "$r"
 echo 'Quoted:       ' "${v/\b/_\\_\z_}"
+r="${v/\b/_\\_\z_}"
+echo 'Quoted =:     ' "$r"
 
 echo 'Pattern:      ' 'double backslash and b: "replace backslash and b"'
-r=${v/\\b/_\\_\z_}
-echo 'In assignment:' "$r"
 echo 'Unquoted:     '  ${v/\\b/_\\_\z_}
+r=${v/\\b/_\\_\z_}
+echo 'Unquoted =:   ' "$r"
 echo 'Quoted:       ' "${v/\\b/_\\_\z_}"
+r="${v/\\b/_\\_\z_}"
+echo 'Quoted =:     ' "$r"
+
+echo
+
+v='a\bc'
+s='_\\_\z_'
+echo 'Source:       ' "$v"
+echo 'Replace str:  ' "$s" '(as variable $s)'
+
+echo 'Pattern:      ' 'single backslash and b: "replace b"'
+echo 'Unquoted:     '  ${v/\b/$s}
+r=${v/\b/$s}
+echo 'Unquoted =:   ' "$r"
+echo 'Quoted:       ' "${v/\b/$s}"
+r="${v/\b/$s}"
+echo 'Quoted =:     ' "$r"
+
+echo 'Pattern:      ' 'double backslash and b: "replace backslash and b"'
+echo 'Unquoted:     '  ${v/\\b/$s}
+r=${v/\\b/$s}
+echo 'Unquoted =:   ' "$r"
+echo 'Quoted:       ' "${v/\\b/$s}"
+r="${v/\\b/$s}"
+echo 'Quoted =:     ' "$r"
 
 echo
 
diff --git a/shell/ash_test/ash-vars/var_bash5.right b/shell/ash_test/ash-vars/var_bash5.right
index 278ed32..1990902 100644
--- a/shell/ash_test/ash-vars/var_bash5.right
+++ b/shell/ash_test/ash-vars/var_bash5.right
@@ -1,4 +1,11 @@
-a/
-a/d
-a/e/f
+1 a/
+2 a/d
+3 a/e/f
+4 a\
+5 a\d
+6 a\e\f
+7 a\\
+8 a\\d
+9 a\\e\\f
+a ab
 Done: 0
diff --git a/shell/ash_test/ash-vars/var_bash5.tests b/shell/ash_test/ash-vars/var_bash5.tests
index 7f482a5..5748b4a 100755
--- a/shell/ash_test/ash-vars/var_bash5.tests
+++ b/shell/ash_test/ash-vars/var_bash5.tests
@@ -4,8 +4,26 @@
 v='a/b/c'
 s='b/c'
 r='e/f'
-echo "${v/$s}"
-echo "${v/$s/d}"
-echo "${v/$s/$r}"
+echo "1 ${v/$s}"
+echo "2 ${v/$s/d}"
+echo "3 ${v/$s/$r}"
+
+v='a\b\c'
+s='b\\c'
+r='e\f'
+echo "4 ${v/$s}"
+echo "5 ${v/$s/d}"
+echo "6 ${v/$s/$r}"
+
+v='a\\b\\c'
+s='b\\\\c'
+r='e\\f'
+echo "7 ${v/$s}"
+echo "8 ${v/$s/d}"
+echo "9 ${v/$s/$r}"
+
+v='a-$a-\t-\\-\"-\`-\--\z-\*-\?-b'
+s='-$a-\\t-\\\\-\\"-\\`-\\--\\z-\\\*-\\\?-'
+echo "a ${v/$s}"
 
 echo Done: $?
diff --git a/shell/ash_test/ash-vars/var_posix1.right b/shell/ash_test/ash-vars/var_posix1.right
index 55f3579..7ff618a 100644
--- a/shell/ash_test/ash-vars/var_posix1.right
+++ b/shell/ash_test/ash-vars/var_posix1.right
@@ -1,3 +1,19 @@
+Empty:
+Empty:
+Empty:
+Empty:
+Empty:
+Empty:
+Empty:
+Empty:
+Empty:
+Empty:
+Empty:
+Empty:
+Empty:
+Empty:
+Empty:
+Empty:
 abcdcd
 abcdcd
 abcdcd
@@ -5,7 +21,9 @@
 babcdcd
 babcdcd
 ababcdcd
-
+Empty:
+ababcdcd}_tail
+ababcdcd_tail
 ababcd
 ababcd
 ababcd
@@ -13,5 +31,11 @@
 ababcdc
 ababcdc
 ababcdcd
-
-end
+Empty:
+ababcdcd}_tail
+ababcdcd_tail
+ababcdcd
+ab
+ab
+ab
+End
diff --git a/shell/ash_test/ash-vars/var_posix1.tests b/shell/ash_test/ash-vars/var_posix1.tests
index 4139e2c..82abe81 100755
--- a/shell/ash_test/ash-vars/var_posix1.tests
+++ b/shell/ash_test/ash-vars/var_posix1.tests
@@ -1,3 +1,25 @@
+unset var
+
+echo Empty:${var#}
+echo Empty:${var##}
+echo Empty:${var#*}
+echo Empty:${var##*}
+echo Empty:${var%}
+echo Empty:${var%%}
+echo Empty:${var%*}
+echo Empty:${var%%*}
+
+var=
+
+echo Empty:${var#}
+echo Empty:${var##}
+echo Empty:${var#*}
+echo Empty:${var##*}
+echo Empty:${var%}
+echo Empty:${var%%}
+echo Empty:${var%*}
+echo Empty:${var%%*}
+
 var=ababcdcd
 
 echo ${var#ab}
@@ -7,7 +29,9 @@
 echo ${var#?}
 echo ${var##?}
 echo ${var#*}
-echo ${var##*}
+echo Empty:${var##*}
+echo ${var#}}_tail
+echo ${var#\}}_tail
 
 echo ${var%cd}
 echo ${var%%cd}
@@ -16,6 +40,13 @@
 echo ${var%?}
 echo ${var%%?}
 echo ${var%*}
-echo ${var%%*}
+echo Empty:${var%%*}
+echo ${var#}}_tail
+echo ${var#\}}_tail
+echo ${var%\\*}
 
-echo end
+a=ab}; echo ${a%\}};
+a=abc; c=c; echo ${a%${c}}
+a=ab{{c; echo ${a%`echo {{c`}
+
+echo End