diff --git a/patchlevel.h b/patchlevel.h
--- a/patchlevel.h
+++ b/patchlevel.h
@@ -25,6 +25,6 @@
    regexp `^#define[ 	]*PATCHLEVEL', since that's what support/mkversion.sh
    looks for to find the patch level (for the sccs version string). */
 
-#define PATCHLEVEL 12
+#define PATCHLEVEL 13
 
 #endif /* _PATCHLEVEL_H_ */
diff --git a/subst.c b/subst.c
--- a/subst.c
+++ b/subst.c
@@ -7497,8 +7497,6 @@ expand_arrayref:
 		    ? quote_string (temp)
 		    : quote_escapes (temp);
 	  rflags |= W_ARRAYIND;
-	  if (estatep)
-	    *estatep = es;	/* structure copy */
 	}
       /* Note that array[*] and array[@] expanded to a quoted null string by
 	 returning the W_HASQUOTEDNULL flag to the caller in addition to TEMP. */
@@ -7507,7 +7505,9 @@ expand_arrayref:
       else if (es.subtype == 2 && temp && QUOTED_NULL (temp) && (quoted & (Q_DOUBLE_QUOTES|Q_HERE_DOCUMENT)))
 	rflags |= W_HASQUOTEDNULL;
 
-      if (estatep == 0)
+      if (estatep)
+	*estatep = es;	/* structure copy */
+      else
 	flush_eltstate (&es);
     }
 #endif