diff --git a/include/git.sh b/include/git.sh
index 7f4b1f40..a6ce1cbf 100755
--- a/include/git.sh
+++ b/include/git.sh
@@ -141,6 +141,7 @@ git_am_patches()
 	)
 	for patches in "${patchdir}/"*; do
 		[ -L "${patches}" ] && continue
-		[ -d "${patches}" ] && git_am_patches "${sdir}" "${patches}"
+		[ ! -d "${patches}" ] && continue
+		git_am_patches "${sdir}" "${patches}"
 	done
 }
diff --git a/script/update/trees b/script/update/trees
index 88f22c31..64958522 100755
--- a/script/update/trees
+++ b/script/update/trees
@@ -145,9 +145,8 @@ handle_src_tree()
 	. "${target_dir}/target.cfg" || \
 	    err "handle_src_tree ${target_dir}: cannot load target.cfg"
 
-	for ix in arch tree; do
-		eval "[ -z \"\${$ix}\" ] && err \"handle_src: $ix undefined\""
-	done
+	[ -z "${arch}" ] && err "handle_src_tree $project/$tree: arch unset"
+	[ -z "${tree}" ] && err "handle_src_tree $project/$tree: tree unset"
 
 	codedir="src/${project}/${tree}"