diff --git a/builtin/apply.c b/builtin/apply.c
index 0769b09287..5d1a15e4f6 100644
--- a/builtin/apply.c
+++ b/builtin/apply.c
@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@ static int is_dev_null(const char *str)
 #define TERM_SPACE	1
 #define TERM_TAB	2
 
-static int name_terminate(const char *name, int namelen, int c, int terminate)
+static int name_terminate(int c, int terminate)
 {
 	if (c == ' ' && !(terminate & TERM_SPACE))
 		return 0;
@@ -672,7 +672,7 @@ static char *find_name_common(const char *line, const char *def,
 		if (!end && isspace(c)) {
 			if (c == '\n')
 				break;
-			if (name_terminate(start, line-start, c, terminate))
+			if (name_terminate(c, terminate))
 				break;
 		}
 		line++;