diff --git a/attr.c b/attr.c
index 17297fffee..e42f931b35 100644
--- a/attr.c
+++ b/attr.c
@@ -705,24 +705,21 @@ static int fill(const char *path, int pathlen, int basename_offset,
 static int macroexpand_one(int nr, int rem)
 {
 	struct attr_stack *stk;
-	struct match_attr *a = NULL;
 	int i;
 
 	if (check_all_attr[nr].value != ATTR__TRUE ||
 	    !check_all_attr[nr].attr->maybe_macro)
 		return rem;
 
-	for (stk = attr_stack; !a && stk; stk = stk->prev)
-		for (i = stk->num_matches - 1; !a && 0 <= i; i--) {
+	for (stk = attr_stack; stk; stk = stk->prev) {
+		for (i = stk->num_matches - 1; 0 <= i; i--) {
 			struct match_attr *ma = stk->attrs[i];
 			if (!ma->is_macro)
 				continue;
 			if (ma->u.attr->attr_nr == nr)
-				a = ma;
+				return fill_one("expand", ma, rem);
 		}
-
-	if (a)
-		rem = fill_one("expand", a, rem);
+	}
 
 	return rem;
 }