diff --git a/options/options.h b/options/options.h
index 8e9eee7de6..35354f07f9 100644
--- a/options/options.h
+++ b/options/options.h
@@ -373,7 +373,6 @@ typedef struct MPOpts {
 
     struct input_opts *input_opts;
 
-    // may be NULL if encoding is not compiled-in
     struct encode_opts *encode_opts;
 
     char *ipc_path;
diff --git a/player/configfiles.c b/player/configfiles.c
index b48c857b35..dc3de14679 100644
--- a/player/configfiles.c
+++ b/player/configfiles.c
@@ -79,8 +79,7 @@ void mp_parse_cfgfiles(struct MPContext *mpctx)
     talloc_free(p2);
 
     char *section = NULL;
-    bool encoding = opts->encode_opts &&
-        opts->encode_opts->file && opts->encode_opts->file[0];
+    bool encoding = opts->encode_opts->file && opts->encode_opts->file[0];
     // In encoding mode, we don't want to apply normal config options.
     // So we "divert" normal options into a separate section, and the diverted
     // section is never used - unless maybe it's explicitly referenced from an