diff --git a/apache-maven/src/assembly/shared/init b/apache-maven/src/assembly/shared/init
index d5bd529b601c..5043c905ee31 100755
--- a/apache-maven/src/assembly/shared/init
+++ b/apache-maven/src/assembly/shared/init
@@ -34,11 +34,15 @@ find_maven_basedir() {
 (
   basedir=`find_file_argument_basedir "$@"`
   wdir="$basedir"
-  while [ "$wdir" != '/' ] ; do
+  while :
+  do
     if [ -d "$wdir"/.mvn ] ; then
       basedir=$wdir
       break
     fi
+    if [ "$wdir" == '/' ] ; then
+      break
+    fi
     wdir=`cd "$wdir/.."; pwd`
   done
   echo "$basedir"