diff --git a/prim-ctl.c b/prim-ctl.c
index 8ebae1fd..19cb1dd6 100644
--- a/prim-ctl.c
+++ b/prim-ctl.c
@@ -15,11 +15,10 @@ PRIM(seq) {
 PRIM(if) {
 	Ref(List *, lp, list);
 	for (; lp != NULL; lp = lp->next) {
-		List *cond = eval1(lp->term, evalflags & (lp->next == NULL ? eval_inchild : 0));
-		lp = lp->next;
-		if (lp == NULL) {
-			RefPop(lp);
-			return cond;
+		List *cond = ltrue;
+		if (lp->next != NULL) {
+			cond = eval1(lp->term, 0);
+			lp = lp->next;
 		}
 		if (istrue(cond)) {
 			List *result = eval1(lp->term, evalflags);
diff --git a/test/tests/option.es b/test/tests/option.es
index 26fbe1ca..8276cc7d 100644
--- a/test/tests/option.es
+++ b/test/tests/option.es
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ test 'es -e' {
 			'false'					false
 			'if {false} {true}'			true
 			'if {true} {false}'			false
+			'if {false; true} {true}'		true
+			'if {true} {false; true}'		false
+			'if {false} {true} {false; true}'	false
 			'{true; {true; {false; true}}}'		false
 
 			# assignments