diff --git a/lib/tput.js b/lib/tput.js
index 86cfc17..8224eb4 100644
--- a/lib/tput.js
+++ b/lib/tput.js
@@ -1030,7 +1030,7 @@ Tput.prototype.readTermcap = function(data) {
     || Tput.termcap;
 
   var terms = this.parseTermcap(data)
-    , term = terms[this.term];
+    , root = terms[this.term];
 
   if (this.debug) {
     this._termcap = terms;
@@ -1038,32 +1038,32 @@ Tput.prototype.readTermcap = function(data) {
 
   (function tc(term) {
     if (term && term.strings.tc) {
+      root.inherits = root.inherits || [];
+      root.inherits.push(term.strings.tc);
+
       if (self.debug && terms[term.strings.tc]) {
-        console.log(term.names.join('/')
-          + ' inherits from '
-          + terms[term.strings.tc].names.join('/'));
+        console.log(term.names.join('/') + ' inherits from '
+                  + terms[term.strings.tc].names.join('/'));
       }
 
-      var t = terms[self.term];
-      t.inherits = t.inherits || [];
-      t.inherits.push(term.strings.tc);
+      if (self.debug) {
+        var names = terms[term.strings.tc]
+          ? terms[term.strings.tc].names
+          : [term.strings.tc];
+        console.log(term.names.join('/') + ' inherits from ' + names.join('/'));
+      }
 
       var inherit = tc(terms[term.strings.tc]);
       if (inherit) {
-        if (0 && self.debug) {
-          console.log(term.names.join('/')
-            + ' inherits from '
-            + inherit.names.join('/'));
-        }
         ['bools', 'numbers', 'strings'].forEach(function(type) {
           merge(term[type], inherit[type]);
         });
       }
     }
     return term;
-  })(term);
+  })(root);
 
-  return term;
+  return root;
 };
 
 /**