diff --git a/lisp/help.el b/lisp/help.el
index 7c59a96ef43..c2b1a4f061d 100644
--- a/lisp/help.el
+++ b/lisp/help.el
@@ -949,7 +949,7 @@ that."
               ;; Info references
               (save-excursion
                 (while (re-search-forward help-xref-info-regexp nil t)
-                  (help-xref-button 1 #'Info-goto-node (list (match-data 1)))))
+                  (help-xref-button 1 #'Info-goto-node (match-string 1))))
               ;; An obvious case of a key substitution:
               (save-excursion              
                 (while (re-search-forward