diff --git a/read-cache.c b/read-cache.c
index 2eb81a66b94..49607ddcd70 100644
--- a/read-cache.c
+++ b/read-cache.c
@@ -2104,13 +2104,15 @@ static int ce_write_entry(git_SHA_CTX *c, int fd, struct cache_entry *ce,
 			  struct strbuf *previous_name, struct ondisk_cache_entry *ondisk)
 {
 	int size;
-	int saved_namelen = saved_namelen; /* compiler workaround */
 	int result;
+	unsigned int saved_namelen;
+	int stripped_name = 0;
 	static unsigned char padding[8] = { 0x00 };
 
 	if (ce->ce_flags & CE_STRIP_NAME) {
 		saved_namelen = ce_namelen(ce);
 		ce->ce_namelen = 0;
+		stripped_name = 1;
 	}
 
 	if (ce->ce_flags & CE_EXTENDED)
@@ -2150,7 +2152,7 @@ static int ce_write_entry(git_SHA_CTX *c, int fd, struct cache_entry *ce,
 		strbuf_splice(previous_name, common, to_remove,
 			      ce->name + common, ce_namelen(ce) - common);
 	}
-	if (ce->ce_flags & CE_STRIP_NAME) {
+	if (stripped_name) {
 		ce->ce_namelen = saved_namelen;
 		ce->ce_flags &= ~CE_STRIP_NAME;
 	}