Index: aoc2024.c
==================================================================
--- aoc2024.c
+++ aoc2024.c
@@ -26,22 +26,26 @@
     if (n == 1) {
         if (v == *a) return minop;
         return 0;
     }
     unsigned long long tmp = a[1];
-    a[1] = a[0] + tmp;
-    int p = operatorsrequired(v, a+1, n-1, (minop > 2)?3:2);
-    a[1] = tmp;
-    if (p) return p;
-    a[1] = a[0] * tmp;
-    p = operatorsrequired(v, a+1, n-1, (minop > 2)?3:2);
-    a[1] = tmp;
-    if (p) return p;
-    a[1] = concat(a[0], tmp);
-    p = operatorsrequired(v, a+1, n-1, 3);
-    a[1] = tmp;
-    return p;
+    int pplus, pmult, pconcat = 0;
+    a[1] = a[0] + tmp;
+    pplus = operatorsrequired(v, a+1, n-1, 2);
+    a[1] = tmp;
+    a[1] = a[0] * tmp;
+    pmult = operatorsrequired(v, a+1, n-1, 2);
+    a[1] = tmp;
+    if (!pplus && !pmult) {
+        a[1] = concat(a[0], tmp);
+        pconcat = operatorsrequired(v, a+1, n-1, 3);
+        a[1] = tmp;
+    }
+    if (pconcat) return 3;
+    if (pmult) return 2;
+    if (pplus) return 2;
+    return 0;
 }
 
 void aoc202407(char *data, size_t len) {
     (void)len; // unused argument
     unsigned long long calibrationtotal = 0, calibration3total = 0;