diff --git a/DataFormats/Provenance/src/BranchDescription.cc b/DataFormats/Provenance/src/BranchDescription.cc
index dab21454c86e7..afdae59da51ee 100644
--- a/DataFormats/Provenance/src/BranchDescription.cc
+++ b/DataFormats/Provenance/src/BranchDescription.cc
@@ -196,8 +196,8 @@ namespace edm {
     setSplitLevel(invalidSplitLevel);
     setBasketSize(invalidBasketSize);
     TClassAttributeMap* wp = wrappedType().getClass()->GetAttributeMap();
-    if (wp && wp->HasKey("persistent") && strcmp(wp->GetPropertyAsString("persistent"), "false")) {
-      // Set transient if persistent != "false".
+    if (wp && wp->HasKey("persistent") && !strcmp(wp->GetPropertyAsString("persistent"), "false")) {
+      // Set transient if persistent == "false".
       setTransient(true);
       return;
     }