diff --git a/libguile/keywords.c b/libguile/keywords.c
index a3819c6e4..53f457c1a 100644
--- a/libguile/keywords.c
+++ b/libguile/keywords.c
@@ -62,8 +62,8 @@ static int
 keyword_print (SCM exp, SCM port, scm_print_state *pstate)
 {
   scm_puts ("#:", port);
-  scm_print_symbol_name (1 + SCM_SYMBOL_CHARS (SCM_CDR (exp)),
-			 SCM_SYMBOL_LENGTH (SCM_CDR (exp)),
+  scm_print_symbol_name (SCM_SYMBOL_CHARS (SCM_CDR (exp)) + 1,
+			 SCM_SYMBOL_LENGTH (SCM_CDR (exp)) - 1,
 			 port);
   return 1;
 }