diff --git a/cmd.c b/cmd.c
index f02aa625..119b685a 100644
--- a/cmd.c
+++ b/cmd.c
@@ -682,6 +682,9 @@ cmd_list_print(const struct cmd_list *cmdlist, int escaped)
 	struct cmd	*cmd, *next;
 	char		*buf, *this;
 	size_t		 len;
+	const char	*separator;
+	const char	*single_separator = escaped ? " \\; " : " ; ";
+	const char	*double_separator = escaped ? " \\;\\; " : " ;; ";
 
 	len = 1;
 	buf = xcalloc(1, len);
@@ -696,17 +699,11 @@ cmd_list_print(const struct cmd_list *cmdlist, int escaped)
 
 		next = TAILQ_NEXT(cmd, qentry);
 		if (next != NULL) {
-			if (cmd->group != next->group) {
-				if (escaped)
-					strlcat(buf, " \\;\\; ", len);
-				else
-					strlcat(buf, " ;; ", len);
-			} else {
-				if (escaped)
-					strlcat(buf, " \\; ", len);
-				else
-					strlcat(buf, " ; ", len);
-			}
+			if (cmd->group != next->group)
+				separator = double_separator;
+			else
+				separator = single_separator;
+			strlcat(buf, separator, len);
 		}
 
 		free(this);