diff --git a/lib/search/hex.c b/lib/search/hex.c
index 3dbb6c3b8..42416c6f9 100644
--- a/lib/search/hex.c
+++ b/lib/search/hex.c
@@ -51,34 +51,29 @@
 static GString *
 mc_search__hex_translate_to_regex (const GString * astr)
 {
-    const char *str = astr->str;
     GString *buff;
     gchar *tmp_str;
     gsize tmp_str_len;
     gsize loop = 0;
-    int val, ptr;
 
     buff = g_string_sized_new (64);
-    tmp_str = g_strndup (str, astr->len);
+    tmp_str = g_strndup (astr->str, astr->len);
     g_strchug (tmp_str);        /* trim leadind whitespaces */
     tmp_str_len = strlen (tmp_str);
 
     while (loop < tmp_str_len)
     {
+        int val, ptr;
+
         if (sscanf (tmp_str + loop, "%i%n", &val, &ptr))
         {
-            gchar *tmp_str2;
-
             if (val < -128 || val > 255)
-            {
                 loop++;
-                continue;
+            else
+            {
+                g_string_append_printf (buff, "\\x%02X", (unsigned char) val);
+                loop += ptr;
             }
-
-            tmp_str2 = g_strdup_printf ("\\x%02X", (unsigned char) val);
-            g_string_append (buff, tmp_str2);
-            g_free (tmp_str2);
-            loop += ptr;
         }
         else if (*(tmp_str + loop) == '"')
         {