lib/PublicInbox/Config.pm | 5 +++--

diff --git a/lib/PublicInbox/Config.pm b/lib/PublicInbox/Config.pm
index c27928deddb7f1a5df17f2efe358719a64e47aba..6a51226e7d11777e64e420312404a698fac838a5 100644
--- a/lib/PublicInbox/Config.pm
+++ b/lib/PublicInbox/Config.pm
@@ -544,11 +544,12 @@ 	local $/ = "\0";
 	my $val = <$fh>;
 	if (close($fh)) {
 		chomp($val);
-		$val;
 	} else {
 		$urlmatch_broken = 1 if (($? >> 8) != 1);
-		undef;
+		undef $val;
 	}
+	$? = 0; # don't influence lei exit status
+	$val;
 }
 
 sub json {