Index: contrib/one-true-awk/lib.c
===================================================================
--- contrib/one-true-awk/lib.c
+++ contrib/one-true-awk/lib.c
@@ -793,9 +793,18 @@
 	while (isspace(*s))
 		s++;
 
+/*
+ * This change, while allowed by newer POSIX standards, represents a regression
+ * where hex strings were treated as numbers in nawk the whole time it has been
+ * in FreeBSD (since 2001). The POSIX 2001 through 2004 standards mandated this
+ * behavior and the current standard allows it. Deviate from upstream by restoring
+ * the prioer FreeBSD behavior.
+ */
+#if 0
 	// no hex floating point, sorry
 	if (s[0] == '0' && tolower(s[1]) == 'x')
 		return false;
+#endif
 
 	// allow +nan, -nan, +inf, -inf, any other letter, no
 	if (s[0] == '+' || s[0] == '-') {