diff --git a/src/conf.c b/src/conf.c
index 6c51a2718..cfd6ac2cd 100644
--- a/src/conf.c
+++ b/src/conf.c
@@ -10874,12 +10874,22 @@ int     _test_deny(ConfigFile *conf, ConfigEntry *ce)
 		char has_mask = 0, has_match = 0;
 		for (cep = ce->items; cep; cep = cep->next)
 		{
-			if (config_is_blankorempty(cep, "deny channel"))
+			if (!strcmp(cep->name, "match"))
+			{
+				has_match = 1;
+				test_match_block(conf, cep, &errors);
+			}
+			else if (!strcmp(cep->name, "mask"))
+			{
+				has_mask = 1;
+				test_match_block(conf, cep, &errors);
+			}
+			else if (config_is_blankorempty(cep, "deny channel"))
 			{
 				errors++;
 				continue;
 			}
-			if (!strcmp(cep->name, "channel"))
+			else if (!strcmp(cep->name, "channel"))
 			{
 				if (has_channel)
 				{
@@ -10929,16 +10939,6 @@ int     _test_deny(ConfigFile *conf, ConfigEntry *ce)
 				}
 				has_class = 1;
 			}
-			else if (!strcmp(cep->name, "match"))
-			{
-				has_match = 1;
-				test_match_block(conf, cep, &errors);
-			}
-			else if (!strcmp(cep->name, "mask"))
-			{
-				has_mask = 1;
-				test_match_block(conf, cep, &errors);
-			}
 			else
 			{
 				config_error_unknown(cep->file->filename,