diff --git a/wp-includes/formatting.php b/wp-includes/formatting.php
index 98bae804b1..6a0869a1d7 100644
--- a/wp-includes/formatting.php
+++ b/wp-includes/formatting.php
@@ -2570,21 +2570,16 @@ function wp_htmledit_pre($output) {
  * @since 2.8.1
  * @access private
  *
- * @param string|array $search
- * @param string $subject
- * @return string The processed string
+ * @param string|array $search The value being searched for, otherwise known as the needle. An array may be used to designate multiple needles.
+ * @param string $subject The string being searched and replaced on, otherwise known as the haystack.
+ * @return string The string with the replaced svalues.
  */
 function _deep_replace( $search, $subject ) {
-	$found = true;
 	$subject = (string) $subject;
-	while ( $found ) {
-		$found = false;
-		foreach ( (array) $search as $val ) {
-			while ( strpos( $subject, $val ) !== false ) {
-				$found = true;
-				$subject = str_replace( $val, '', $subject );
-			}
-		}
+
+	$count = 1;
+	while ( $count ) {
+		$subject = str_replace( $search, '', $subject, $count );
 	}
 
 	return $subject;