diff --git a/gcc/config/aarch64/aarch64-bti-insert.c b/gcc/config/aarch64/aarch64-bti-insert.c
index 57663ee23b49..98026695fdbb 100644
--- a/gcc/config/aarch64/aarch64-bti-insert.c
+++ b/gcc/config/aarch64/aarch64-bti-insert.c
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ static bool
 aarch64_pac_insn_p (rtx x)
 {
   if (!INSN_P (x))
-    return x;
+    return false;
 
   subrtx_var_iterator::array_type array;
   FOR_EACH_SUBRTX_VAR (iter, array, PATTERN (x), ALL)
diff --git a/gcc/testsuite/gcc.target/aarch64/pr97638.c b/gcc/testsuite/gcc.target/aarch64/pr97638.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..e5869e86c449
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gcc/testsuite/gcc.target/aarch64/pr97638.c
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+/* { dg-do compile } */
+/* { dg-options "-O2 -mbranch-protection=bti" } */
+
+char *foo (const char *s, const int c)
+{
+  const char *p = 0;
+  for (;;)
+  {
+        if (*s == c)
+            p = s;
+        if (p != 0 || *s++ == 0)
+            break;
+  }
+  return (char *)p;
+}
+
+/* { dg-final { scan-assembler "hint\t34" } } */