diff --git a/fs/erofs/namei.c b/fs/erofs/namei.c
index d4f631d39f0f..f0110a78acb2 100644
--- a/fs/erofs/namei.c
+++ b/fs/erofs/namei.c
@@ -130,24 +130,24 @@ static void *erofs_find_target_block(struct erofs_buf *target,
 			/* string comparison without already matched prefix */
 			diff = erofs_dirnamecmp(name, &dname, &matched);
 
-			if (!diff) {
-				*_ndirents = 0;
-				goto out;
-			} else if (diff > 0) {
-				head = mid + 1;
-				startprfx = matched;
-
-				if (!IS_ERR(candidate))
-					erofs_put_metabuf(target);
-				*target = buf;
-				candidate = de;
-				*_ndirents = ndirents;
-			} else {
+			if (diff < 0) {
 				erofs_put_metabuf(&buf);
-
 				back = mid - 1;
 				endprfx = matched;
+				continue;
 			}
+
+			if (!IS_ERR(candidate))
+				erofs_put_metabuf(target);
+			*target = buf;
+			if (!diff) {
+				*_ndirents = 0;
+				return de;
+			}
+			head = mid + 1;
+			startprfx = matched;
+			candidate = de;
+			*_ndirents = ndirents;
 			continue;
 		}
 out:		/* free if the candidate is valid */