diff --git a/builtins/history.def b/builtins/history.def
index 5db44c2c..0ee14cb2 100644
--- a/builtins/history.def
+++ b/builtins/history.def
@@ -189,35 +189,27 @@ history_builtin (list)
 	  return (EXECUTION_FAILURE);
 	}
       if (delete_arg[0] == '-' && delete_start < 0)
-        {
-	  /* the_history[history_length] == 0x0, so this is correct */
-          delete_start += history_length;
-	  if (delete_start < history_base)
-	    {
-start_error:
-	      sh_erange (delete_arg, _("history position"));
-	      return (EXECUTION_FAILURE);
-	    }
-        }
-      /* numbers as displayed by display_history are offset by history_base */
+	/* the_history[history_length] == 0x0, so this is correct */
+	delete_start += history_length;
       else if (delete_start > 0)
+	/* numbers as displayed by display_history are offset by history_base */
 	delete_start -= history_base;
       if (delete_start < 0 || delete_start >= history_length)
-	goto start_error;
+	  {
+	    sh_erange (delete_arg, _("history position"));
+	    return (EXECUTION_FAILURE);
+	  }
       if (range[0] == '-' && delete_end < 0)
-        {
-          delete_end += history_length;
-	  if (delete_end < history_base)
-	    {
-range_error:
-	      sh_erange (range, _("history position"));
-	      return (EXECUTION_FAILURE);
-	    }
-        }
+	{
+	  delete_end += history_length;
+	}
       else if (delete_end > 0)
 	delete_end -= history_base;
       if (delete_end < 0 || delete_end >= history_length)
-	goto range_error;
+	  {
+	    sh_erange (range, _("history position"));
+	    return (EXECUTION_FAILURE);
+	  }
       result = bash_delete_history_range (delete_start, delete_end);
       if (where_history () > history_length)
 	history_set_pos (history_length);
@@ -237,7 +229,7 @@ range_error:
 	     that history -d -1 will delete the last history entry, which at
 	     this point is the history -d -1 we just added. */
 	  ind = history_length + delete_offset;
-	  if (ind < history_base)
+	  if (ind < 0)
 	    {
 	      sh_erange (delete_arg, _("history position"));
 	      return (EXECUTION_FAILURE);