diff --git a/bin/sh/miscbltin.c b/bin/sh/miscbltin.c
index cc525b8ccbd..d9ac8a309c9 100644
--- a/bin/sh/miscbltin.c
+++ b/bin/sh/miscbltin.c
@@ -174,6 +174,7 @@ readcmd(int argc __unused, char **argv __unused)
 			continue;
 		if (backslash) {
 			backslash = 0;
+			startword = 0;
 			if (c != '\n')
 				STPUTC(c, p);
 			continue;
diff --git a/tools/regression/bin/sh/builtins/read4.0 b/tools/regression/bin/sh/builtins/read4.0
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7204a35aa0a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/regression/bin/sh/builtins/read4.0
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# $FreeBSD$
+
+printf '%s\n' '\a\ b c'	| { read a b; printf '%s\n' "x${a}x${b}x"; }
+printf '%s\n' '\a b\ c'	| { read a b; printf '%s\n' "x${a}x${b}x"; }
+printf '%s\n' '\a\:b:c'	| { IFS=: read a b; printf '%s\n' "x${a}x${b}x"; }
+printf '%s\n' '\a:b\:c'	| { IFS=: read a b; printf '%s\n' "x${a}x${b}x"; }
+printf '%s\n' '\\ a'	| { read a b; printf '%s\n' "x${a}x${b}x"; }
+printf '%s\n' '\\:a'	| { IFS=: read a b; printf '%s\n' "x${a}x${b}x"; }
+printf '%s\n' '\\\ a'	| { read a b; printf '%s\n' "x${a}x${b}x"; }
+printf '%s\n' '\\\:a'	| { IFS=: read a b; printf '%s\n' "x${a}x${b}x"; }
diff --git a/tools/regression/bin/sh/builtins/read4.0.stdout b/tools/regression/bin/sh/builtins/read4.0.stdout
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a8747a46ffe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/regression/bin/sh/builtins/read4.0.stdout
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+xa bxcx
+xaxb cx
+xa:bxcx
+xaxb:cx
+x\xax
+x\xax
+x\ axx
+x\:axx