diff --git a/picard/mbxml.py b/picard/mbxml.py
index 6e9352d10..f14008d28 100644
--- a/picard/mbxml.py
+++ b/picard/mbxml.py
@@ -270,10 +270,10 @@ def recording_to_metadata(node, track):
 
 
 def performance_to_metadata(relation, m):
-    if 'attribute_list' in relation.children \
-        and 'attribute' in relation.attribute_list[0].children:
-        for attribute in relation.attribute_list[0].attribute:
-            m.add_unique("~performance_attributes", attribute.text)
+    if 'attribute_list' in relation.children:
+        if 'attribute' in relation.attribute_list[0].children:
+            for attribute in relation.attribute_list[0].attribute:
+                m.add_unique("~performance_attributes", attribute.text)
 
 
 def work_to_metadata(work, m):