--- nl.c	2020-12-13 14:43:42.548147088 -0800
+++ nl.posix.c	2020-12-13 14:41:54.179988143 -0800
@@ -569,17 +569,39 @@
   /* Initialize the section delimiters.  */
   len = strlen (section_del);
 
-  header_del_len = len * 3;
-  header_del = xmalloc (header_del_len + 1);
-  stpcpy (stpcpy (stpcpy (header_del, section_del), section_del), section_del);
-
-  body_del_len = len * 2;
-  body_del = xmalloc (body_del_len + 1);
-  stpcpy (stpcpy (body_del, section_del), section_del);
-
-  footer_del_len = len;
-  footer_del = xmalloc (footer_del_len + 1);
-  stpcpy (footer_del, section_del);
+  if (len == 1)
+    {
+       header_del_len = 6;
+       header_del = xmalloc (header_del_len + 1);
+       stpcpy (stpcpy (stpcpy (stpcpy (stpcpy (stpcpy (header_del, section_del),
+               DEFAULT_SECTION_DELIMITERS + 1), section_del), DEFAULT_SECTION_DELIMITERS + 1),
+               section_del), DEFAULT_SECTION_DELIMITERS + 1);
+
+       body_del_len = 4;
+       body_del = xmalloc (body_del_len + 1);
+       stpcpy (stpcpy (stpcpy (stpcpy (body_del, section_del), DEFAULT_SECTION_DELIMITERS + 1),
+               section_del), DEFAULT_SECTION_DELIMITERS + 1);
+
+       footer_del_len = 2;
+       footer_del = xmalloc (footer_del_len + 1);
+       stpcpy (stpcpy (footer_del, section_del), DEFAULT_SECTION_DELIMITERS + 1);
+
+       section_del = footer_del;
+   }
+  else
+   {
+      header_del_len = len * 3;
+      header_del = xmalloc (header_del_len + 1);
+      stpcpy (stpcpy (stpcpy (header_del, section_del), section_del), section_del);
+
+      body_del_len = len * 2;
+      body_del = xmalloc (body_del_len + 1);
+      stpcpy (stpcpy (body_del, section_del), section_del);
+
+      footer_del_len = len;
+      footer_del = xmalloc (footer_del_len + 1);
+      stpcpy (footer_del, section_del);
+   }
 
   /* Initialize the input buffer.  */
   initbuffer (&line_buf);