diff --git a/src/kernel/curse.c b/src/kernel/curse.c
index afa8ac2c3..828552a3a 100644
--- a/src/kernel/curse.c
+++ b/src/kernel/curse.c
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ int curse_age(attrib * a)
     else if (c->duration != INT_MAX) {
         c->duration = _max(0, c->duration - 1);
     }
-    return c->duration;
+    return (c->duration > 0) ? AT_AGE_KEEP : AT_AGE_REMOVE;
 }
 
 void destroy_curse(curse * c)
diff --git a/src/util/attrib.c b/src/util/attrib.c
index fb50d8dfc..26869cfee 100644
--- a/src/util/attrib.c
+++ b/src/util/attrib.c
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ int a_age(attrib ** p)
         if (a->type->age) {
             int result = a->type->age(a);
             assert(result >= 0 || !"age() returned a negative value");
-            if (result == 0) {
+            if (result == AT_AGE_REMOVE) {
                 a_remove(p, a);
                 continue;
             }
diff --git a/src/util/attrib.h b/src/util/attrib.h
index cbba4ebf4..c235fd67a 100644
--- a/src/util/attrib.h
+++ b/src/util/attrib.h
@@ -90,8 +90,8 @@ extern "C" {
 #define AT_READ_OK 0
 #define AT_READ_FAIL -1
 
-#define AT_AGE_KEEP 0           /* keep the attribute for another turn */
-#define AT_AGE_REMOVE 1         /* remove the attribute after calling age() */
+#define AT_AGE_REMOVE 0         /* remove the attribute after calling age() */
+#define AT_AGE_KEEP 1           /* keep the attribute for another turn */
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }