diff --git a/src/wallet/spend.cpp b/src/wallet/spend.cpp
index e5fd7b0eb4a..857102aff11 100644
--- a/src/wallet/spend.cpp
+++ b/src/wallet/spend.cpp
@@ -993,12 +993,13 @@ std::optional<CreatedTransactionResult> CreateTransaction(
         tmp_cc.m_avoid_partial_spends = true;
         bilingual_str error2; // fired and forgotten; if an error occurs, we discard the results
         std::optional<CreatedTransactionResult> txr_grouped = CreateTransactionInternal(wallet, vecSend, change_pos, error2, tmp_cc, fee_calc_out, sign);
+        // if fee of this alternative one is within the range of the max fee, we use this one
+        const bool use_aps{txr_grouped.has_value() ? (txr_grouped->fee <= txr_ungrouped->fee + wallet.m_max_aps_fee) : false};
+        TRACE5(coin_selection, aps_create_tx_internal, wallet.GetName().c_str(), use_aps, txr_grouped.has_value(),
+               txr_grouped.has_value() ? txr_grouped->fee : 0, txr_grouped.has_value() ? txr_grouped->change_pos : 0);
         if (txr_grouped) {
-            // if fee of this alternative one is within the range of the max fee, we use this one
-            const bool use_aps = txr_grouped->fee <= txr_ungrouped->fee + wallet.m_max_aps_fee;
             wallet.WalletLogPrintf("Fee non-grouped = %lld, grouped = %lld, using %s\n",
                 txr_ungrouped->fee, txr_grouped->fee, use_aps ? "grouped" : "non-grouped");
-            TRACE5(coin_selection, aps_create_tx_internal, wallet.GetName().c_str(), use_aps, true, txr_grouped->fee, txr_grouped->change_pos);
             if (use_aps) return txr_grouped;
         }
     }