diff --git a/wp-includes/comment.php b/wp-includes/comment.php
index a50a9396e5..acc25a1bee 100644
--- a/wp-includes/comment.php
+++ b/wp-includes/comment.php
@@ -223,8 +223,6 @@ class WP_Comment_Query {
 			'user_id' => '',
 			'search' => '',
 			'count' => false,
-			// lets us override the status query var by explicitly setting a value for comment_approved
-			'comment_approved' => false,
 		);
 
 		$this->query_vars = wp_parse_args( $query_vars, $defaults );
@@ -250,17 +248,11 @@ class WP_Comment_Query {
 			$approved = "comment_approved = '0'";
 		elseif ( 'approve' == $status )
 			$approved = "comment_approved = '1'";
-		elseif ( 'spam' == $status )
-			$approved = "comment_approved = 'spam'";
-		elseif ( 'trash' == $status )
-			$approved = "comment_approved = 'trash'";
+		elseif ( ! empty( $status ) )
+			$approved = $wpdb->prepare( "comment_approved = %s", $status );
 		else
 			$approved = "( comment_approved = '0' OR comment_approved = '1' )";
 
-		if ( false !== $comment_approved ) {
-			$approved = $wpdb->prepare( 'comment_approved = %s', $comment_approved );
-		}
-
 		$order = ( 'ASC' == strtoupper($order) ) ? 'ASC' : 'DESC';
 
 		if ( ! empty( $orderby ) ) {