diff --git a/tools/gpgtar-extract.c b/tools/gpgtar-extract.c
index b0e17cb10..8613d193f 100644
--- a/tools/gpgtar-extract.c
+++ b/tools/gpgtar-extract.c
@@ -345,15 +345,7 @@ gpgtar_extract (const char *filename, int decrypt)
     dirname = xtrystrdup (opt.directory);
   else
     {
-      if (filename)
-        {
-          dirprefix = strrchr (filename, '/');
-          if (dirprefix)
-            dirprefix++;
-          else
-            dirprefix = filename;
-        }
-      else if (opt.filename)
+      if (opt.filename)
         {
           dirprefix = strrchr (opt.filename, '/');
           if (dirprefix)
@@ -361,6 +353,14 @@ gpgtar_extract (const char *filename, int decrypt)
           else
             dirprefix = opt.filename;
         }
+      else if (filename)
+        {
+          dirprefix = strrchr (filename, '/');
+          if (dirprefix)
+            dirprefix++;
+          else
+            dirprefix = filename;
+        }
 
       if (!dirprefix || !*dirprefix)
         dirprefix = "GPGARCH";