diff --git a/editors/awk.c b/editors/awk.c
index 3adbca7aa..f7b8ef0d3 100644
--- a/editors/awk.c
+++ b/editors/awk.c
@@ -2346,8 +2346,15 @@ static char *awk_printf(node *n, size_t *len)
 		size_t slen;
 
 		s = f;
-		while (*f && (*f != '%' || *++f == '%'))
+		while (*f && *f != '%')
 			f++;
+		c = *++f;
+		if (c == '%') { /* double % */
+			slen = f - s;
+			s = xstrndup(s, slen);
+			f++;
+			goto tail;
+		}
 		while (*f && !isalpha(*f)) {
 			if (*f == '*')
 				syntax_error("%*x formats are not supported");
diff --git a/testsuite/awk.tests b/testsuite/awk.tests
index dc2ae2e11..bcaafe8fd 100755
--- a/testsuite/awk.tests
+++ b/testsuite/awk.tests
@@ -463,4 +463,10 @@ testing "awk \"cmd\" | getline" \
 	"HELLO\n" \
 	'' ''
 
+# printf %% should print one % (had a bug where it didn't)
+testing 'awk printf %% prints one %' \
+	"awk 'BEGIN { printf \"%%\n\" }'" \
+	"%\n" \
+	'' ''
+
 exit $FAILCOUNT
diff --git a/testsuite/printf.tests b/testsuite/printf.tests
index 34a65926e..050edef71 100755
--- a/testsuite/printf.tests
+++ b/testsuite/printf.tests
@@ -79,6 +79,11 @@ testing "printf understands %Ld" \
 	"-5\n""0\n" \
 	"" ""
 
+testing "printf understands %%" \
+	"${bb}printf '%%\n' 2>&1; echo \$?" \
+	"%\n""0\n" \
+	"" ""
+
 testing "printf handles positive numbers for %d" \
 	"${bb}printf '%d\n' 3 +3 '   3' '   +3' 2>&1; echo \$?" \
 	"3\n"\