diff --git a/lib/ssh.c b/lib/ssh.c
index ff5994b441cc1f9f54f44a1216a5feffaf6a790c..b3da65562468945b1b89162931ad6a58a126d297 100644
--- a/lib/ssh.c
+++ b/lib/ssh.c
@@ -1910,7 +1910,7 @@ static CURLcode ssh_statemach_act(struct connectdata *conn, bool *block)
           char *ptr2;
 
           from=curlx_strtoofft(conn->data->state.range, &ptr, 0);
-          while(ptr && *ptr && (isspace((int)*ptr) || (*ptr=='-')))
+          while(*ptr && (isspace((int)*ptr) || (*ptr=='-')))
             ptr++;
           to=curlx_strtoofft(ptr, &ptr2, 0);
           if((ptr == ptr2) /* no "to" value given */