diff --git a/entity.js b/entity.js
index 01436fb..0fbfa72 100644
--- a/entity.js
+++ b/entity.js
@@ -1997,8 +1997,8 @@ function getEntities() {
   "ш": { "codepoints": [1096], "characters": "\u0448" },
   "∣": { "codepoints": [8739], "characters": "\u2223" },
   "∥": { "codepoints": [8741], "characters": "\u2225" },
-  "&shy": { "codepoints": [173], "characters": "\u00AD" },
-  "­": { "codepoints": [173], "characters": "\u00AD" },
+  "&shy": { "codepoints": [173], "characters": "" },
+  "­": { "codepoints": [173], "characters": "" },
   "σ": { "codepoints": [963], "characters": "\u03C3" },
   "ς": { "codepoints": [962], "characters": "\u03C2" },
   "ς": { "codepoints": [962], "characters": "\u03C2" },
diff --git a/etc.c b/etc.c
index 3d402c5..128717b 100644
--- a/etc.c
+++ b/etc.c
@@ -834,6 +834,15 @@ read_token(Str buf, char **instr, int *status, int pre, int append)
     if (**instr == '\0')
 	return 0;
     for (p = *instr; *p; p++) {
+	/* Drop Unicode soft hyphen */
+	if (*(unsigned char *)p == 0210
+	    && *(unsigned char *)(p + 1) == 0200
+	    && *(unsigned char *)(p + 2) == 0201
+	    && *(unsigned char *)(p + 3) == 0255) {
+	    p += 3;
+	    continue;
+	}
+
 	prev_status = *status;
 	next_status(*p, status);
 	switch (*status) {
diff --git a/table.c b/table.c
index 7479a82..9c47d08 100644
--- a/table.c
+++ b/table.c
@@ -3274,8 +3274,9 @@ feed_table(struct table *tbl, char *line, struct table_mode *mode,
 			break;
 		    default:
 			r = conv_entity(ec);
-			if (r != NULL && strlen(r) == 1 &&
-			    ec == (unsigned char)*r) {
+			if (!r || !*r)
+			    break;
+			if (strlen(r) == 1 && ec == (unsigned char)*r) {
 			    Strcat_char(tmp, *r);
 			    break;
 			}
diff --git a/tests/allentity.expected b/tests/allentity.expected
index b155746..cd93459 100644
--- a/tests/allentity.expected
+++ b/tests/allentity.expected
@@ -1726,7 +1726,7 @@ CounterClockwiseContourIntegral;
 ш                           0x448          ш      ш                        ш
 ∣                       0x2223         ∣      ∣                        ∣
 ∥                  0x2225         ∥      ∥                        ∥
-­                            0xAD                                           ­
+­                            0xAD
 σ                          0x3C3          σ      σ                        σ
 ς                         0x3C2          ς      ς                        ς
 ς                         0x3C2          ς      ς                        ς
@@ -2125,7 +2125,7 @@ CounterClockwiseContourIntegral;
 &raquo                           0xBB           »      &raquo                   »
 &reg                             0xAE           ®      &reg                     ®
 &sect                            0xA7           §      &sect                    §
-&shy                             0xAD                  &shy                     ­
+&shy                             0xAD                  &shy
 &sup1                            0xB9           ¹      &sup1                    ¹
 &sup2                            0xB2           ²      &sup2                    ²
 &sup3                            0xB3           ³      &sup3                    ³
diff --git a/tests/allentity.html b/tests/allentity.html
index 80dda78..0043a66 100644
--- a/tests/allentity.html
+++ b/tests/allentity.html
@@ -5184,7 +5184,7 @@
 			<td>&amp;shortparallel;</td><td>0x2225</td><td></td><td>&#x2225;</td><td>&shortparallel;</td><td>∥</td>
 		</tr>
 		<tr>
-			<td>&amp;shy;</td><td>0xAD</td><td></td><td>&#xAD;</td><td>&shy;</td><td>­</td>
+			<td>&amp;shy;</td><td>0xAD</td><td></td><td>&#xAD;</td><td>&shy;</td><td></td>
 		</tr>
 		<tr>
 			<td>&amp;sigma;</td><td>0x3C3</td><td></td><td>&#x3C3;</td><td>&sigma;</td><td>σ</td>
@@ -6379,7 +6379,7 @@
 			<td>&amp;sect</td><td>0xA7</td><td></td><td>&#xA7;</td><td>&sect</td><td>§</td>
 		</tr>
 		<tr>
-			<td>&amp;shy</td><td>0xAD</td><td></td><td>&#xAD;</td><td>&shy</td><td>­</td>
+			<td>&amp;shy</td><td>0xAD</td><td></td><td>&#xAD;</td><td>&shy</td><td></td>
 		</tr>
 		<tr>
 			<td>&amp;sup1</td><td>0xB9</td><td></td><td>&#xB9;</td><td>&sup1</td><td>¹</td>