lib/PublicInbox/DS.pm | 8 ++++----

diff --git a/lib/PublicInbox/DS.pm b/lib/PublicInbox/DS.pm
index 2d312f0ac15084fe6b295351748d481a013d8ac9..263c34580afdb4a4d73316e6a37c6353acbb8352 100644
--- a/lib/PublicInbox/DS.pm
+++ b/lib/PublicInbox/DS.pm
@@ -162,13 +162,13 @@
 sub next_tick () {
     my $q = $nextq or return;
     $nextq = undef;
-    for (@$q) {
+    for my $obj (@$q) {
         # we avoid "ref" on blessed refs to workaround a Perl 5.16.3 leak:
         # https://rt.perl.org/Public/Bug/Display.html?id=114340
-        if (blessed($_)) {
-            $_->event_step;
+        if (blessed($obj)) {
+            $obj->event_step;
         } else {
-            $_->();
+            $obj->();
         }
     }
 }