diff --git a/lib/tput.js b/lib/tput.js
index c2ffd11..fd21bb5 100644
--- a/lib/tput.js
+++ b/lib/tput.js
@@ -882,7 +882,9 @@ Tput.prototype._compile = function(val) {
       end = val.indexOf('%;');
       // Terminfo does elseif's like
       // this: %?[expr]%t...%e[expr]%t...%;
-      if (then < end && then < els) {
+      // if (then < end && then < els) {
+      // if (then !== -1 && then < end && then < els) {
+      if (then !== -1 && then < end && (els !== -1 && then < els)) {
         stmt('} else if (');
       } else {
         stmt('} else {');