diff --git a/cmirror.c b/cmirror.c
index 967235d..c625d05 100644
--- a/cmirror.c
+++ b/cmirror.c
@@ -765,9 +765,11 @@ static void slave(char *slave_path) {
                 g_autofree char *hardlink = fn_unescape(word[7]);
                 g_autoptr(FileInfo) fi_src = fileinfo_lstat(hardlink);
                 if (!fi_src) {
+                    // source removed, i/o error, --reduce or logic error. We could
+                    // request the file here, but the above cases don't seem to
+                    // ustify this.
                     warn("%s: hardlink source %s: %m\n", filename, hardlink);
-                }
-                if (!fi_is || fi_is->dev != fi_src->dev || fi_is->ino != fi_src->ino) {
+                } else if (!fi_is || fi_is->dev != fi_src->dev || fi_is->ino != fi_src->ino) {
                     if (fi_is)
                         out_of_the_way(fi_is);
                     if (!quiet)