diff --git a/src/nvim/regexp.c b/src/nvim/regexp.c
index 414472a8f3..06b99d0b75 100644
--- a/src/nvim/regexp.c
+++ b/src/nvim/regexp.c
@@ -4323,8 +4323,10 @@ static int regmatch(
             /* Still at same position as last time, fail. */
             status = RA_NOMATCH;
 
-          if (status != RA_FAIL && status != RA_NOMATCH)
+          assert(status != RA_FAIL);
+          if (status != RA_NOMATCH) {
             reg_save(&bp[i].bp_pos, &backpos);
+          }
         }
         break;