diff --git a/src/cmd/ksh93/sh/xec.c b/src/cmd/ksh93/sh/xec.c
index c691486c2..87089bec2 100644
--- a/src/cmd/ksh93/sh/xec.c
+++ b/src/cmd/ksh93/sh/xec.c
@@ -295,9 +295,6 @@ static void p_time(Shell_t *shp, Sfio_t *out, const char *format, clock_t *tm)
 			continue;
 		unsigned char l_modifier = 0;
 		int precision = 3;
-#ifndef timeofday
-		n = 0;
-#endif
 
 		sfwrite(stkp, first, format-first);
 		c = *++format;
@@ -353,8 +350,9 @@ static void p_time(Shell_t *shp, Sfio_t *out, const char *format, clock_t *tm)
 			tvp = &tm[TM_SYS_IDX];
 		else
 		{
+			stkseek(stkp,offset);
 			errormsg(SH_DICT,ERROR_exit(0),e_badtformat,c);
-			continue;
+			return;
 		}
 		if(l_modifier)
 			l_time(stkp, tvp, precision);
@@ -362,15 +360,21 @@ static void p_time(Shell_t *shp, Sfio_t *out, const char *format, clock_t *tm)
 		{
 			/* scale fraction from micro to milli, centi, or deci second according to precision */
 			int n, frac = tvp->tv_usec;
-			for(n = 3 + (3 - precision); n > 0; --n) frac /= 10;
-			sfprintf(stkp, "%d%c%0*d", tvp->tv_sec, GETDECIMAL(0), precision, frac);
+			for(n = 3 + (3 - precision); n > 0; --n)
+				frac /= 10;
+			if(precision)
+				sfprintf(stkp, "%d%c%0*d", tvp->tv_sec, GETDECIMAL(0), precision, frac);
+			else
+				sfprintf(stkp, "%d", tvp->tv_sec);
 		}
 #else
-		if(c=='U')
+		if(c=='R')
+			n = 0;
+		else if(c=='U')
 			n = 1;
 		else if(c=='S')
 			n = 2;
-		else if(c!='R')
+		else
 		{
 			stkseek(stkp,offset);
 			errormsg(SH_DICT,ERROR_exit(0),e_badtformat,c);
diff --git a/src/cmd/ksh93/tests/basic.sh b/src/cmd/ksh93/tests/basic.sh
index 2594569d5..4ba3d4bd7 100755
--- a/src/cmd/ksh93/tests/basic.sh
+++ b/src/cmd/ksh93/tests/basic.sh
@@ -553,25 +553,31 @@ $SHELL 2> /dev/null -c $'for i;\ndo :;done' || err_exit 'for i ; <newline> not v
 ) || err_exit "crash when sourcing multiple files (exit status $?)"
 
 # ======
-# The time keyword should correctly handle millisecond precision.
-# This can be checked by verifying the last digit is not a zero
-# when 'time sleep .002' is run.
+# The time keyword should correctly handle millisecond precision, except
+# on older systems that do not support getrusage(2) or gettimeofday(2).
 result=$(
 	TIMEFORMAT=$'\%3R'
 	redirect 2>&1
 	time sleep .002
 )
-[[ ${result: -1} == 0 ]] && err_exit "the 'time' keyword doesn't properly support millisecond precision"
+case $result in
+0.000 | 0.010)
+	err_exit "warning: 'time' keyword doesn't support millisecond precision"
+	let "Errors--" ;;
+0.002)	;;
+*)	err_exit "'time' keyword, millisecond precision: expected 0.002, got $result" ;;
+esac
 
 # A single '%' after a format specifier should not be a syntax
 # error (it should be treated as a literal '%').
-IFS=' '
-result=( $(
+expect='0%'
+actual=$(
 	TIMEFORMAT=$'%0S%'
 	redirect 2>&1
 	time :
-) )
-[[ ${result[4]} == bad ]] && err_exit "'%' is not treated literally when placed after a format specifier"
+)
+[[ $actual == "$expect" ]] || err_exit "'%' is not treated literally when placed after a format specifier" \
+	"(expected $(printf %q "$expect"), got $(printf %q "$actual"))"
 
 # The locale's radix point shouldn't be ignored
 us=$(