diff --git a/src/unicode.c b/src/unicode.c
index 3efbff6ed5..592d567fe9 100644
--- a/src/unicode.c
+++ b/src/unicode.c
@@ -543,33 +543,36 @@ int valid_utf8(const UTF8 *source)
 			continue;
 		}
 
+		if (*source < 0xC2)
+			return 0;
+
 		length = opt_trailingBytesUTF8[*source & 0x3f] + 1;
-		srcptr = source + length;
+		srcptr = source;
 
 		switch (length) {
 		default:
 			return 0;
 			/* Everything else falls through when valid */
+			/* But no fall-through in inner switch statements. */
 		case 4:
-			if ((a = (*--srcptr)) < 0x80 || a > 0xBF) return 0;
-		case 3:
-			if ((a = (*--srcptr)) < 0x80 || a > 0xBF) return 0;
-		case 2:
-			if ((a = (*--srcptr)) < 0x80 || a > 0xBF) return 0;
+			if ((a = (*++srcptr)) < 0x80 || a > 0xBF) return 0;
+
+			if (*source > 0xF4) return 0;
 
 			switch (*source) {
-				/* no fall-through in this inner switch */
-			case 0xE0: if (a < 0xA0) return 0; break;
-			case 0xED: if (a > 0x9F) return 0; break;
 			case 0xF0: if (a < 0x90) return 0; break;
 			case 0xF4: if (a > 0x8F) return 0;
 			}
+		case 3:
+			if ((a = (*++srcptr)) < 0x80 || a > 0xBF) return 0;
 
-		case 1:
-			if (*source >= 0x80 && *source < 0xC2) return 0;
+			switch (*source) {
+			case 0xE0: if (a < 0xA0) return 0; break;
+			case 0xED: if (a > 0x9F) return 0;
+			}
+		case 2:
+			if ((a = (*++srcptr)) < 0x80 || a > 0xBF) return 0;
 		}
-		if (*source > 0xF4)
-			return 0;
 
 		source += length;
 		ret++;