diff --git a/src/color.c b/src/color.c
index 525597fe..aab788ba 100644
--- a/src/color.c
+++ b/src/color.c
@@ -115,12 +115,22 @@ void prepare_palette(void)
 	have_palette = TRUE;
 }
 
+/* Try to match the given shibboleth string with one of the regexes in
+ * the list starting at head.  Return TRUE upon success. */
+bool found_in_list(regexlisttype *head, const char *shibboleth)
+{
+	for (regexlisttype *item = head; item != NULL; item = item->next)
+		if (regexec(item->one_rgx, shibboleth, 0, NULL, 0) == 0)
+			return TRUE;
+
+	return FALSE;
+}
+
 /* Find a syntax that applies to the current buffer, based upon filename
  * or buffer content, and load and prime this syntax when needed. */
 void find_and_prime_applicable_syntax(void)
 {
 	syntaxtype *sntx = NULL;
-	regexlisttype *item;
 
 	/* If the rcfiles were not read, or contained no syntaxes, get out. */
 	if (syntaxes == NULL)
@@ -149,9 +159,8 @@ void find_and_prime_applicable_syntax(void)
 			fullname = mallocstrcpy(fullname, openfile->filename);
 
 		for (sntx = syntaxes; sntx != NULL; sntx = sntx->next)
-			for (item = sntx->extensions; item != NULL; item = item->next)
-				if (regexec(item->one_rgx, fullname, 0, NULL, 0) == 0)
-					break;
+			if (found_in_list(sntx->extensions, fullname))
+				break;
 
 		free(fullname);
 	}
@@ -159,9 +168,8 @@ void find_and_prime_applicable_syntax(void)
 	/* If the filename didn't match anything, try the first line. */
 	if (sntx == NULL && !inhelp) {
 		for (sntx = syntaxes; sntx != NULL; sntx = sntx->next)
-			for (item = sntx->headers; item != NULL; item = item->next)
-				if (regexec(item->one_rgx, openfile->filetop->data, 0, NULL, 0) == 0)
-					break;
+			if (found_in_list(sntx->headers, openfile->filetop->data))
+				break;
 	}
 
 #ifdef HAVE_LIBMAGIC
@@ -191,9 +199,8 @@ void find_and_prime_applicable_syntax(void)
 		/* Now try and find a syntax that matches the magic string. */
 		if (magicstring != NULL) {
 			for (sntx = syntaxes; sntx != NULL; sntx = sntx->next)
-				for (item = sntx->magics; item != NULL; item = item->next)
-					if (regexec(item->one_rgx, magicstring, 0, NULL, 0) == 0)
-						break;
+				if (found_in_list(sntx->magics, magicstring))
+					break;
 		}
 
 		if (stat(openfile->filename, &fileinfo) == 0)