diff --git a/src/base/application.cpp b/src/base/application.cpp
index f721288c0..459787b01 100644
--- a/src/base/application.cpp
+++ b/src/base/application.cpp
@@ -269,17 +269,10 @@ void Application::Messages::write_logfile(const std::string& file)
     // can be appended to the name to create the name of a file
     // that does not exist.
     std::string fname = nm + ext;
-    std::ifstream f(fname.c_str());
-    if (f) {
-        int n = 0;
-        while (1 > 0) {
-            n++;
-            fname = nm + int2str(n) + ext;
-            std::ifstream f(fname.c_str());
-            if (!f) {
-                break;
-            }
-        }
+    int n = 0;
+    while (std::ifstream(fname.c_str())) {
+        n++;
+        fname = nm + int2str(n) + ext;
     }
 
     // Now we have a file name that does not correspond to any