diff --git a/src/Lean/Elab/Tactic/Basic.lean b/src/Lean/Elab/Tactic/Basic.lean
index 17e28744f0..bfe628e7fe 100644
--- a/src/Lean/Elab/Tactic/Basic.lean
+++ b/src/Lean/Elab/Tactic/Basic.lean
@@ -429,7 +429,7 @@ private def findTag? (gs : List MVarId) (tag : Name) : TacticM (Option MVarId) :
      let savedTag ← liftM $ getMVarTag g
      liftM $ setMVarTag g Name.anonymous
      try
-       evalTactic tac
+       closeUsingOrAdmit tac
      finally
        liftM $ setMVarTag g savedTag
      done