diff --git a/kernel/panic.c b/kernel/panic.c
index 8bff183d6180..3edad0c6091d 100644
--- a/kernel/panic.c
+++ b/kernel/panic.c
@@ -507,22 +507,23 @@ const struct taint_flag taint_flags[TAINT_FLAGS_COUNT] = {
 const char *print_tainted(void)
 {
 	static char buf[TAINT_FLAGS_COUNT + sizeof("Tainted: ")];
+	char *s;
+	int i;
 
 	BUILD_BUG_ON(ARRAY_SIZE(taint_flags) != TAINT_FLAGS_COUNT);
 
-	if (tainted_mask) {
-		char *s;
-		int i;
-
-		s = buf + sprintf(buf, "Tainted: ");
-		for (i = 0; i < TAINT_FLAGS_COUNT; i++) {
-			const struct taint_flag *t = &taint_flags[i];
-			*s++ = test_bit(i, &tainted_mask) ?
-					t->c_true : t->c_false;
-		}
-		*s = 0;
-	} else
+	if (!tainted_mask) {
 		snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "Not tainted");
+		return buf;
+	}
+
+	s = buf + sprintf(buf, "Tainted: ");
+	for (i = 0; i < TAINT_FLAGS_COUNT; i++) {
+		const struct taint_flag *t = &taint_flags[i];
+		*s++ = test_bit(i, &tainted_mask) ?
+			t->c_true : t->c_false;
+	}
+	*s = 0;
 
 	return buf;
 }