diff --git a/git-rebase--interactive.sh b/git-rebase--interactive.sh
index b938a6d4a..773ccd474 100644
--- a/git-rebase--interactive.sh
+++ b/git-rebase--interactive.sh
@@ -1237,7 +1237,8 @@ then
 	git rev-list $revisions |
 	while read rev
 	do
-		if test -f "$rewritten"/$rev && test "$(sane_grep "$rev" "$state_dir"/not-cherry-picks)" = ""
+		if test -f "$rewritten"/$rev &&
+		   ! sane_grep "$rev" "$state_dir"/not-cherry-picks >/dev/null
 		then
 			# Use -f2 because if rev-list is telling us this commit is
 			# not worthwhile, we don't want to track its multiple heads,