diff --git a/Command/Sync.hs b/Command/Sync.hs
index e885990a48..d095ae20a9 100644
--- a/Command/Sync.hs
+++ b/Command/Sync.hs
@@ -272,17 +272,16 @@ commitStaged commitmode commitmessage = do
 	return True
 
 mergeLocal :: [Git.Merge.MergeConfig] -> CurrBranch -> CommandStart
-mergeLocal mergeconfig currbranch@(Just branch, madj) =
+mergeLocal mergeconfig currbranch@(Just _, _) =
 	go =<< needMerge currbranch
   where
 	go Nothing = stop
 	go (Just syncbranch) = do
 		showStart "merge" $ Git.Ref.describe syncbranch
 		next $ next $ merge currbranch mergeconfig Git.Branch.ManualCommit syncbranch
-	syncbranch = syncBranch branch
 mergeLocal _ (Nothing, madj) = do
 	b <- inRepo Git.Branch.currentUnsafe
-	ifM (needMerge (b, madj))
+	ifM (isJust <$> needMerge (b, madj))
 		( do
 			warning $ "There are no commits yet in the currently checked out branch, so cannot merge any remote changes into it."
 			next $ next $ return False
@@ -292,7 +291,7 @@ mergeLocal _ (Nothing, madj) = do
 -- Returns the branch that should be merged, if any.
 needMerge :: CurrBranch -> Annex (Maybe Git.Branch)
 needMerge (Nothing, _) = return Nothing
-needMerge (Just branch, madj) = ifM (allM checks)
+needMerge (Just branch, madj) = ifM (allM id checks)
 	( return (Just syncbranch)
 	, return Nothing
 	)