diff --git a/src/conf.c b/src/conf.c
index cfd6ac2cd..3afb3d8c8 100644
--- a/src/conf.c
+++ b/src/conf.c
@@ -6419,13 +6419,22 @@ int	_test_allow_channel(ConfigFile *conf, ConfigEntry *ce)
 
 	for (cep = ce->items; cep; cep = cep->next)
 	{
-		if (config_is_blankorempty(cep, "allow 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, "allow channel"))
 		{
 			errors++;
 			continue;
 		}
-
-		if (!strcmp(cep->name, "channel"))
+		else if (!strcmp(cep->name, "channel"))
 		{
 			has_channel = 1;
 		}
@@ -6440,16 +6449,6 @@ int	_test_allow_channel(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, cep->line_number,
diff --git a/src/modules/tkl.c b/src/modules/tkl.c
index d268cf008..d03e76af0 100644
--- a/src/modules/tkl.c
+++ b/src/modules/tkl.c
@@ -413,6 +413,10 @@ int tkl_config_test_spamfilter(ConfigFile *cf, ConfigEntry *ce, int type, int *e
 			has_action = 1;
 			errors += test_ban_action_config(cep);
 		}
+		else if (!strcmp(cep->name, "except"))
+		{
+			test_match_block(cf, cep, &errors);
+		}
 		else if (!cep->value)
 		{
 			config_error_empty(cep->file->filename, cep->line_number,
@@ -517,10 +521,6 @@ int tkl_config_test_spamfilter(ConfigFile *cf, ConfigEntry *ce, int type, int *e
 				errors++;
 			}
 		}
-		else if (!strcmp(cep->name, "except"))
-		{
-			test_match_block(cf, cep, &errors);
-		}
 		else
 		{
 			config_error_unknown(cep->file->filename, cep->line_number,