lib/PublicInbox/TestCommon.pm | 2 +-

diff --git a/lib/PublicInbox/TestCommon.pm b/lib/PublicInbox/TestCommon.pm
index 2627871a3c3f202f5c3d0eab75ee3ae42a9c694f..67fe6336d260b49b1b53eabb38b0e833f0799d70 100644
--- a/lib/PublicInbox/TestCommon.pm
+++ b/lib/PublicInbox/TestCommon.pm
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ 	die $@ if $@;
 	push @EXPORT, @methods;
 }
 
-sub xbail (@) { BAIL_OUT join(' ', map { ref ? (explain($_)) : ($_) } @_) }
+sub xbail (@) { BAIL_OUT join(' ', map { ref() ? (explain($_)) : ($_) } @_) }
 
 sub eml_load ($) {
 	my ($path, $cb) = @_;