diff --git a/drivers/syslog/syslog_rpmsg.c b/drivers/syslog/syslog_rpmsg.c
index 168ea1bbed3..e39e8dbe3fe 100644
--- a/drivers/syslog/syslog_rpmsg.c
+++ b/drivers/syslog/syslog_rpmsg.c
@@ -347,7 +347,8 @@ ssize_t syslog_rpmsg_write(FAR struct syslog_channel_s *channel,
 void syslog_rpmsg_init_early(FAR void *buffer, size_t size)
 {
   FAR struct syslog_rpmsg_s *priv = &g_syslog_rpmsg;
-  char prev, cur;
+  char prev;
+  char cur;
   size_t i;
   size_t j;
 
@@ -364,15 +365,14 @@ void syslog_rpmsg_init_early(FAR void *buffer, size_t size)
 
           if (!isascii(cur))
             {
-              goto out;
+              memset(priv->buffer, 0, size);
+              break;
             }
-
-          if (prev && !cur)
+          else if (prev && !cur)
             {
               priv->head = C2B(i) + j;
             }
-
-          if (!prev && cur)
+          else if (!prev && cur)
             {
               priv->tail = i;
             }
@@ -381,11 +381,9 @@ void syslog_rpmsg_init_early(FAR void *buffer, size_t size)
         }
     }
 
-out:
   if (i != size)
     {
       priv->head = priv->tail = 0;
-      memset(priv->buffer, 0, size);
     }
 }