diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index c7b8818e6ebc295141c01fca04c16a03b4e0e0fe..816d49c3b6f701e7f0be336df0b9eedee486ee2b 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+2014-05-04  Benno Schulenberg  <bensberg@justemail.net>
+	* src/winio.c (statusbar): Elide a variable.
+
 2014-05-03  Benno Schulenberg  <bensberg@justemail.net>
 	* src/*.h, src/*.c: Add the ability to colour four elements of
 	nano's interface differently: title bar, status bar, key combo,
diff --git a/src/winio.c b/src/winio.c
index e60fe1b5c23ca2085a2481e35c0debed40375fb0..7cf5db61c6c2c1a2beee0f6b52be3a7f7fb647f4 100644
--- a/src/winio.c
+++ b/src/winio.c
@@ -2272,7 +2272,7 @@ void statusbar(const char *msg, ...)
 {
     va_list ap;
     char *bar, *foo;
-    size_t start_x, foo_len;
+    size_t start_x;
 #if !defined(NANO_TINY) && !defined(DISABLE_NANORC)
     bool old_whitespace;
 #endif
@@ -2297,13 +2297,12 @@ void statusbar(const char *msg, ...)
     vsnprintf(bar, mb_cur_max() * (COLS - 3), msg, ap);
     va_end(ap);
     foo = display_string(bar, 0, COLS - 4, FALSE);
+    free(bar);
 #if !defined(NANO_TINY) && !defined(DISABLE_NANORC)
     if (old_whitespace)
 	SET(WHITESPACE_DISPLAY);
 #endif
-    free(bar);
-    foo_len = strlenpt(foo);
-    start_x = (COLS - foo_len - 4) / 2;
+    start_x = (COLS - strlenpt(foo) - 4) / 2;
 
     wmove(bottomwin, 0, start_x);
     wattron(bottomwin, interface_color_pair[STATUS_BAR]);