diff --git a/lockfile.c b/lockfile.c
index f8205f6b03b..e148227fb16 100644
--- a/lockfile.c
+++ b/lockfile.c
@@ -300,12 +300,14 @@ int reopen_lock_file(struct lock_file *lk)
 int commit_lock_file(struct lock_file *lk)
 {
 	char result_file[PATH_MAX];
-	size_t i;
+
 	if (close_lock_file(lk))
 		return -1;
+
 	strcpy(result_file, lk->filename);
-	i = strlen(result_file) - LOCK_SUFFIX_LEN; /* .lock */
-	result_file[i] = 0;
+	/* remove ".lock": */
+	result_file[strlen(result_file) - LOCK_SUFFIX_LEN] = 0;
+
 	if (rename(lk->filename, result_file))
 		return -1;
 	lk->filename[0] = 0;