diff --git a/changes/bug4637 b/changes/bug4637
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..bf2ba932d2070d317de259cdfffe1ad846ac079e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/bug4637
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+  o Code simplifications and refactoring:
+    - Remove some dead code spotted by coverity. Fixes cid 432.
+      Bugfix on 0.2.3.1-alpha, closes bug 4637.
diff --git a/src/or/directory.c b/src/or/directory.c
index d4abe0243b78b92f1e7ac2b893c799ddefed481e..12636bac33d0b41deec8387d6438f7bd29ce5876 100644
--- a/src/or/directory.c
+++ b/src/or/directory.c
@@ -410,7 +410,7 @@ directory_get_from_dirserver(uint8_t dir_purpose, uint8_t router_purpose,
     } else {
       /* Otherwise it might be a consensus we don't parse, but which we
        * do cache.  Look at the cached copy, perhaps. */
-      cached_dir_t *cd = dirserv_get_consensus(resource ? resource : "ns");
+      cached_dir_t *cd = dirserv_get_consensus(resource);
       if (cd)
         if_modified_since = cd->published + 180;
     }