diff --git a/common/recsel.c b/common/recsel.c
index 36aa01476..a778419db 100644
--- a/common/recsel.c
+++ b/common/recsel.c
@@ -527,7 +527,11 @@ recsel_select (recsel_expr_t selector,
       if (recsel_debug)
         log_debug ("%s: name=%s got value '%s'\n", __func__, se->name, value);
       if (!value)
-        value = "";
+        {
+          se = se->next;
+          result = 0;
+          continue;
+        }
 
       if (!*value)
         {
diff --git a/common/t-recsel.c b/common/t-recsel.c
index ff68e54c3..679ea7aff 100644
--- a/common/t-recsel.c
+++ b/common/t-recsel.c
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ run_test_2 (void)
 
   FREEEXPR();
   ADDEXPR ("nothing -z");
-  if (!recsel_select (se, test_2_getval, NULL))
+  if (recsel_select (se, test_2_getval, NULL))
     fail (0, 0);
   FREEEXPR();
   ADDEXPR ("nothing -n");
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ run_test_2 (void)
 
   FREEEXPR();
   ADDEXPR ("nothing -f");
-  if (!recsel_select (se, test_2_getval, NULL))
+  if (recsel_select (se, test_2_getval, NULL))
     fail (0, 0);
   FREEEXPR();
   ADDEXPR ("nothing -t");
@@ -387,7 +387,8 @@ run_test_2 (void)
     fail (0, 0);
 
   FREEEXPR();
-  ADDEXPR ("letter -f");
+  ADDEXPR ("letters -f");
+  recsel_dump (se);
   if (!recsel_select (se, test_2_getval, NULL))
     fail (0, 0);
   FREEEXPR();