diff --git a/lisp/kmacro.el b/lisp/kmacro.el
index 582a58eda1c..4abc571db44 100644
--- a/lisp/kmacro.el
+++ b/lisp/kmacro.el
@@ -937,7 +937,7 @@ without repeating the prefix."
 
 ;;; Single-step editing of keyboard macros
 
-(defvar kmacro-step-edit-active)  	 ;; step-editing active
+(defvar kmacro-step-edit-active nil)  	 ;; step-editing active
 (defvar kmacro-step-edit-new-macro)  	 ;; storage for new macro
 (defvar kmacro-step-edit-inserting)  	 ;; inserting into macro
 (defvar kmacro-step-edit-appending)  	 ;; append to end of macro
diff --git a/test/lisp/kmacro-tests.el b/test/lisp/kmacro-tests.el
index 9f3eeafe486..690d5029231 100644
--- a/test/lisp/kmacro-tests.el
+++ b/test/lisp/kmacro-tests.el
@@ -818,7 +818,6 @@ This is a regression for item 7 in Bug#24991."
 
 (kmacro-tests-deftest kmacro-tests-step-edit-cleans-up-hook ()
   "Step-editing properly cleans up `post-command-hook.' (Bug #18708)"
-  (:expected-result :failed)
   (let (post-command-hook)
     (setq-local post-command-hook '(t))
     (kmacro-tests-run-step-edit "x"