diff --git a/pdf.c b/pdf.c
index 8afa86866317dfb9b8900153ad23240fb8a17c30..478b53ce633cd41848e5278b8857c8f9acf0033c 100644
--- a/pdf.c
+++ b/pdf.c
@@ -606,11 +606,11 @@ init_parser(struct Env *aux)
 	H_RULE(elemd_,	CHX(SEQ(ws, dobj, elemd),
 			    SEQ(ws, name, elemr),
 			    SEQ(ws, robj, elemr),
-			    SEQ(ws)));	// XXX ws without SEQ() should suffice
+			    ws));
 	H_RULE(elemr_,	CHX(SEQ(ws, dobj, elemd),
 			    SEQ(ws, name, elemr),
 			    SEQ(wel,ws, robj, elemr),
-			    SEQ(ws)));	// XXX ws without SEQ() should suffice
+			    ws));
 	h_bind_indirect(elemd, elemd_);
 	h_bind_indirect(elemr, elemr_);
 	h_bind_indirect(array, array_);