diff --git a/components/selectors/matching.rs b/components/selectors/matching.rs
index 84ddde2b261..0ab6c7e29e0 100644
--- a/components/selectors/matching.rs
+++ b/components/selectors/matching.rs
@@ -225,8 +225,10 @@ impl RelevantLinkStatus {
                                  -> RelevantLinkStatus
         where E: Element,
     {
+        // If a relevant link was previously found, we no longer want to look
+        // for links.  Only the nearest ancestor link is considered relevant.
         if *self != RelevantLinkStatus::Looking {
-            return *self
+            return RelevantLinkStatus::NotLooking
         }
 
         if !element.is_link() {
@@ -407,7 +409,7 @@ pub fn matches_complex_selector<E, F>(complex_selector: &Selector<E::Impl>,
     match matches_complex_selector_internal(iter,
                                             element,
                                             context,
-                                            RelevantLinkStatus::Looking,
+                                            &mut RelevantLinkStatus::Looking,
                                             flags_setter) {
         SelectorMatchingResult::Matched => true,
         _ => false
@@ -417,13 +419,13 @@ pub fn matches_complex_selector<E, F>(complex_selector: &Selector<E::Impl>,
 fn matches_complex_selector_internal<E, F>(mut selector_iter: SelectorIter<E::Impl>,
                                            element: &E,
                                            context: &mut MatchingContext,
-                                           relevant_link: RelevantLinkStatus,
+                                           relevant_link: &mut RelevantLinkStatus,
                                            flags_setter: &mut F)
                                            -> SelectorMatchingResult
      where E: Element,
            F: FnMut(&E, ElementSelectorFlags),
 {
-    let mut relevant_link = relevant_link.examine_potential_link(element, context);
+    *relevant_link = relevant_link.examine_potential_link(element, context);
 
     let matches_all_simple_selectors = selector_iter.all(|simple| {
         matches_simple_selector(simple, element, context, &relevant_link, flags_setter)
@@ -449,7 +451,7 @@ fn matches_complex_selector_internal<E, F>(mut selector_iter: SelectorIter<E::Im
                 Combinator::NextSibling | Combinator::LaterSibling => {
                     // Only ancestor combinators are allowed while looking for
                     // relevant links, so switch to not looking.
-                    relevant_link = RelevantLinkStatus::NotLooking;
+                    *relevant_link = RelevantLinkStatus::NotLooking;
                     (element.prev_sibling_element(),
                      SelectorMatchingResult::NotMatchedAndRestartFromClosestDescendant)
                 }