diff --git a/python/eups/db/Database.py b/python/eups/db/Database.py
index b2848f29..5e811986 100644
--- a/python/eups/db/Database.py
+++ b/python/eups/db/Database.py
@@ -535,18 +535,18 @@ def getChainFile(self, tag, productName, searchUserDB=False):
         if is_string(tag):
             tag = eups.tags.Tag(tag)
 
-        pdirs = []
+        tfile = self._tagFileInDir(pdir, tag.name)
+        if os.path.exists(tfile):
+            return ChainFile(tfile)
+
+        # not found; user tags may be in the userDB
         if searchUserDB and tag.isUser():
             for d in self._getUserTagDb(values=True):
                 if d:
-                    pdirs.append(self._productDir(productName, d))
-        else:
-            pdirs.append(pdir)
-
-        for pdir in pdirs:
-            tfile = self._tagFileInDir(pdir, tag.name)
-            if os.path.exists(tfile):
-                return ChainFile(tfile)
+                    pdir = self._productDir(productName, d)
+                    tfile = self._tagFileInDir(pdir, tag.name)
+                    if os.path.exists(tfile):
+                        return ChainFile(tfile)
 
         return None