lib/PublicInbox/Git.pm | 4 ++--

diff --git a/lib/PublicInbox/Git.pm b/lib/PublicInbox/Git.pm
index 395add1fecee08305e6748b989a341b89b0b526d..691462eda4880533cae6357f20bc663a235936e3 100644
--- a/lib/PublicInbox/Git.pm
+++ b/lib/PublicInbox/Git.pm
@@ -451,7 +451,7 @@ sub DESTROY { cleanup(@_) }
 
 sub local_nick ($) {
 	# don't show full FS path, basename should be OK:
-	$_[0]->{git_dir} =~ m!/([^/]+?)(?:/*\.git/*)?\z! ? "$1.git" : '???';
+	$_[0]->{git_dir} =~ m!/([^/]+?)(?:/*\.git/*)?\z! ? "$1.git" : undef;
 }
 
 sub host_prefix_url ($$) {
@@ -478,7 +478,7 @@ 	my ($self, $env) = @_;
 	if (my $urls = $self->{cgit_url}) {
 		return map { host_prefix_url($env, $_) } @$urls;
 	}
-	(local_nick($self));
+	(local_nick($self) // '???');
 }
 
 sub cat_async_begin {