diff --git a/src/search.c b/src/search.c
index ab4b2a0f519..e12bf69d2a1 100644
--- a/src/search.c
+++ b/src/search.c
@@ -2376,7 +2376,7 @@ since only regular expressions have distinguished subexpressions.  */)
 	      else
 		some_multiletter_word = 1;
 	    }
-	  else if (!NOCASEP (c))
+	  else if (UPPERCASEP (c))
 	    {
 	      some_uppercase = 1;
 	      if (SYNTAX (prevc) != Sword)