diff --git a/src/c/hydra_eval_jobs.cc b/src/c/hydra_eval_jobs.cc
index c7de83f5..0618d923 100644
--- a/src/c/hydra_eval_jobs.cc
+++ b/src/c/hydra_eval_jobs.cc
@@ -49,17 +49,13 @@ static void tryJobAlts(EvalState & state, XMLWriter & doc,
         return;
     }
 
-    Formals::Formals_::iterator next = cur; ++next;
-
     AutoArgs::const_iterator a = argsLeft.find(cur->name);
 
-    if (a == argsLeft.end()) {
-        if (!cur->def)
-            throw TypeError(format("job `%1%' requires an argument named `%2%'")
-                % attrPath % cur->name);
-        tryJobAlts(state, doc, argsUsed, argsLeft, attrPath, fun, next, last, actualArgs);
-        return;
-    }
+    if (a == argsLeft.end())
+        throw TypeError(format("job `%1%' requires an argument named `%2%'")
+            % attrPath % cur->name);
+
+    Formals::Formals_::iterator next = cur; ++next;
 
     int n = 0;
     foreach (ValueList::const_iterator, i, a->second) {