diff --git a/include/stdex/string.hpp b/include/stdex/string.hpp
index b41701faf..eaa7d0b55 100644
--- a/include/stdex/string.hpp
+++ b/include/stdex/string.hpp
@@ -993,8 +993,6 @@ namespace stdex
 		utf32_t a, b;
 		for (i = 0, j = 0; i < count1 && j < count2; ++i, j = j_next) {
 			a = str1[i];
-			if (!a)
-				break;
 			if (j + 1 >= count2 || !is_surrogate_pair(&str2[j])) {
 				b = static_cast<utf32_t>(str2[j]);
 				j_next = j + 1;
@@ -1003,8 +1001,7 @@ namespace stdex
 				b = surrogate_pair_to_ucs4(&str2[j]);
 				j_next = j + 2;
 			}
-			if (!b)
-				break;
+			if (!a && !b) return 0;
 			if (a > b) return +1;
 			if (a < b) return -1;
 		}
@@ -1082,32 +1079,32 @@ namespace stdex
 	{
 		stdex_assert(str1 || !count1);
 		stdex_assert(str2 || !count2);
-		for (size_t i = 0, j = 0; ;) {
-			if (i >= count1 && j >= count2) return 0;
-			if (i >= count1 && j < count2) return -1;
-			if (i < count1 && j >= count2) return +1;
-
-			utf32_t a;
+		size_t i, i_next, j, j_next;
+		utf32_t a, b;
+		for (i = 0, j = 0; i < count1 && j < count2; i = i_next, j = j_next) {
 			if (i + 1 >= count1 || !is_surrogate_pair(&str1[i])) {
-				a = static_cast<utf16_t>(str1[i]);
-				i++;
+				a = static_cast<utf32_t>(str1[i]);
+				i_next = i + 1;
 			}
 			else {
 				a = surrogate_pair_to_ucs4(&str1[i]);
-				i += 2;
+				i_next = i + 2;
 			}
-			utf32_t b;
 			if (j + 1 >= count2 || !is_surrogate_pair(&str2[j])) {
-				b = static_cast<utf16_t>(str2[j]);
-				j++;
+				b = static_cast<utf32_t>(str2[j]);
+				j_next = j + 1;
 			}
 			else {
 				b = surrogate_pair_to_ucs4(&str2[j]);
-				j += 2;
+				j_next = j + 2;
 			}
-			if (a < b) return -1;
+			if (!a && !b) return 0;
 			if (a > b) return +1;
+			if (a < b) return -1;
 		}
+		if (i < count1 && str1[i]) return +1;
+		if (j < count2 && str2[j]) return -1;
+		return 0;
 	}
 
 	///