diff --git a/lib/passport-saml/saml.js b/lib/passport-saml/saml.js
index 5ad38484..2ef65955 100644
--- a/lib/passport-saml/saml.js
+++ b/lib/passport-saml/saml.js
@@ -673,6 +673,7 @@ SAML.prototype.processValidlySignedAssertion = function(xml, inResponseTo, callb
     }
 
     var subject = assertion.Subject;
+    var subjectConfirmation, confirmData;
     if (subject) {
       var nameID = subject[0].NameID;
       if (nameID) {
@@ -685,10 +686,10 @@ SAML.prototype.processValidlySignedAssertion = function(xml, inResponseTo, callb
         }
       }
 
-      var subjectConfirmation = subject[0].SubjectConfirmation ?
-                                subject[0].SubjectConfirmation[0] : null;
-      var confirmData = subjectConfirmation && subjectConfirmation.SubjectConfirmationData ?
-                        subjectConfirmation.SubjectConfirmationData[0] : null;
+      subjectConfirmation = subject[0].SubjectConfirmation ?
+                            subject[0].SubjectConfirmation[0] : null;
+      confirmData = subjectConfirmation && subjectConfirmation.SubjectConfirmationData ?
+                    subjectConfirmation.SubjectConfirmationData[0] : null;
       if (subject[0].SubjectConfirmation && subject[0].SubjectConfirmation.length > 1) {
         msg = 'Unable to process multiple SubjectConfirmations in SAML assertion';
         throw new Error(msg);