diff --git a/ncurses/tinfo/db_iterator.c b/ncurses/tinfo/db_iterator.c
index 94a4082047..0549dae224 100644
--- a/ncurses/tinfo/db_iterator.c
+++ b/ncurses/tinfo/db_iterator.c
@@ -92,33 +92,33 @@ check_existence(const char *name, struct stat *sb)
  * Store the latest value of an environment variable in my_vars[] so we can
  * detect if one changes, invalidating the cached search-list.
  */
 static bool
 update_getenv(const char *name, DBDIRS which)
 {
     bool result = FALSE;
 
     if (which < dbdLAST) {
 	char *value;
+	char *cached_value = my_vars[which].value;
+	bool same_value;
 
-	if ((value = getenv(name)) == 0 || (value = strdup(value)) == 0) {
-	    ;
-	} else if (my_vars[which].name == 0 || strcmp(my_vars[which].name, name)) {
-	    FreeIfNeeded(my_vars[which].value);
-	    my_vars[which].name = name;
-	    my_vars[which].value = value;
-	    result = TRUE;
-	} else if ((my_vars[which].value != 0) ^ (value != 0)) {
-	    FreeIfNeeded(my_vars[which].value);
-	    my_vars[which].value = value;
-	    result = TRUE;
-	} else if (value != 0 && strcmp(value, my_vars[which].value)) {
+	if ((value = getenv(name)) != 0) {
+	    value = strdup(value);
+	}
+	same_value = (value == 0 && cached_value == 0)
+	    || (value != 0 && cached_value != 0 && strcmp(value, cached_value) == 0);
+
+	// Update var name for later checks
+	my_vars[which].name = name;
+
+	if (!same_value) {
 	    FreeIfNeeded(my_vars[which].value);
 	    my_vars[which].value = value;
 	    result = TRUE;
 	} else {
 	    free(value);
 	}
     }
     return result;
 }