diff --git a/src/cmd/ksh93/meson.build b/src/cmd/ksh93/meson.build
index 4419647c51b3..43afa8312ba7 100644
--- a/src/cmd/ksh93/meson.build
+++ b/src/cmd/ksh93/meson.build
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ all_tests = [
     ['alias'], ['append'], ['arith'], ['arrays'], ['arrays2'], ['attributes'],
     ['basic', 90], ['bracket'], ['builtins'], ['case'], ['comvar'],
     ['comvario'], ['coprocess', 50], ['cubetype'], ['directoryfd'], ['enum'],
-    ['exit'], ['expand'], ['functions'], ['glob'], ['grep'], ['heredoc'],
+    ['exit'], ['expand'], ['functions'], ['glob'], ['grep'], ['heredoc'], ['ifs'],
     ['io'], ['leaks'], ['locale'], ['math', 50], ['nameref'], ['namespace'],
     ['modifiers'], ['options'], ['path'], ['pointtype'], ['quoting'],
     ['quoting2'], ['readcsv'], ['recttype'], ['restricted'], ['return'], ['select'],
diff --git a/src/cmd/ksh93/sh/macro.c b/src/cmd/ksh93/sh/macro.c
index a526e189319f..c60fa052601f 100644
--- a/src/cmd/ksh93/sh/macro.c
+++ b/src/cmd/ksh93/sh/macro.c
@@ -1663,7 +1663,13 @@ static_fn bool varsub(Mac_t *mp) {
         int match[2 * (MATCH_MAX + 1)], index;
         int nmatch, nmatch_prev, vsize_last, tsize;
         char *vlast = NULL, *oldv;
-        d = (mode == '@' ? ' ' : mp->ifs);
+        char *ifs_bytes = NULL;
+        if (mode == '@') {
+            d = ' ';
+        } else {
+            d = mp->ifs;
+            ifs_bytes = mp->ifsp;
+        }
         while (1) {
             if (!v) v = "";
             if (c == '/' || c == '#' || c == '%') {
@@ -1792,10 +1798,16 @@ static_fn bool varsub(Mac_t *mp) {
                 mp->atmode = mode == '@';
                 mp->pattern = oldpat;
             } else if (d) {
-                if (mp->sp) {
-                    sfputc(mp->sp, d);
+                Sfio_t *sfio_ptr = (mp->sp) ? mp->sp : stkp;
+
+                // Handle multi-byte characters being used for the internal
+                // field separator (IFS).
+                if (ifs_bytes) {
+                    for (int i = 0; i < mbsize(ifs_bytes); i++) {
+                        sfputc(sfio_ptr, ifs_bytes[i]);
+                    }
                 } else {
-                    sfputc(stkp, d);
+                    sfputc(sfio_ptr, d);
                 }
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/cmd/ksh93/tests/ifs.sh b/src/cmd/ksh93/tests/ifs.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..559726d91bfe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cmd/ksh93/tests/ifs.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+# These are the tests for the internal field separator (IFS).
+
+IFS=e
+set : :
+[[ "$*" == ":e:" ]] || log_error "IFS failed" ":e:" "$*"
+
+IFS='|' read -r first second third <<< 'one|two|three'
+[[ "${first}" == "one" ]] || log_error "IFS failed" "one" "${first}"
+[[ "${second}" == "two" ]] || log_error "IFS failed" "two" "${second}"
+[[ "${third}" == "three" ]] || log_error "IFS failed" "three" "${third}"
+
+# Multi-byte character checks will only work if UTF-8 inputs are enabled
+if [ "${LANG}" = "C.UTF-8" ]
+then
+    # 2 byte latin accented e character
+    IFS=é
+    set : :
+    [[ "$*" == ":é:" ]] || log_error "IFS failed with multibyte character" ":é:" "$*"
+
+    # 4 byte roman sestertius character
+    IFS=𐆘 read -r first second third <<< 'one𐆘two𐆘three'
+    [[ "${first}" == "one" ]] || log_error "IFS failed" "one" "${first}"
+    [[ "${second}" == "two" ]] || log_error "IFS failed" "two" "${second}"
+    [[ "${third}" == "three" ]] || log_error "IFS failed" "three" "${third}"
+
+    # Ensure subshells don't get corrupted when IFS becomes multibyte character
+    expected_output=$(printf ":é:\\ntrap -- 'echo end' EXIT\\nend")
+    output=$(LANG=C.UTF-8; IFS=é; set : :; echo "$*"; trap "echo end" EXIT; LC_ALL=C; unset LC_ALL; trap)
+    [[ "${output}" == "${expected_output}" ]] || log_error "IFS subshell failed" "${expected_output}" "${output}"
+fi