diff --git a/src/or/dirserv.c b/src/or/dirserv.c
index 7b8d2f7633..7c2d74bebe 100644
--- a/src/or/dirserv.c
+++ b/src/or/dirserv.c
@@ -1890,8 +1890,7 @@ connection_dirserv_add_networkstatus_bytes_to_outbuf(connection_t *conn)
        * we may need to make a new zlib object to uncompress the next one. */
       if (uncompressing && ! conn->zlib_state &&
           conn->fingerprint_stack && smartlist_len(conn->fingerprint_stack))
-        conn->zlib_state = conn->zlib_state = tor_zlib_new(0, ZLIB_METHOD);
-        /* XXX Nick: the line above is fishy -RD */
+        conn->zlib_state = tor_zlib_new(0, ZLIB_METHOD);
       if (r) return r;
     } else if (conn->fingerprint_stack &&
                smartlist_len(conn->fingerprint_stack)) {