diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/tools/TAStudio/MarkerControl.cs b/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/tools/TAStudio/MarkerControl.cs
index fa0a5aaf2d..a5ab900da9 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/tools/TAStudio/MarkerControl.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/tools/TAStudio/MarkerControl.cs
@@ -51,37 +51,31 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 		private void MarkerView_QueryItemBkColor(int index, RollColumn column, ref Color color)
 		{
 			// This could happen if the control is told to redraw while Tastudio is rebooting, as we would not have a TasMovie just yet
-			if (Tastudio.CurrentTasMovie is null)
-			{
-				return;
-			}
+			if (Tastudio.CurrentTasMovie is null) return;
 
+			if (index >= Markers.Count) return; // this should never happen
+
+			var marker = Markers[index];
 			var prev = Markers.PreviousOrCurrent(Tastudio.Emulator.Frame);
 
-			if (prev != null && index == Markers.IndexOf(prev))
+			if (ReferenceEquals(marker, prev))
 			{
 				// feos: taseditor doesn't have it, so we're free to set arbitrary color scheme. and I prefer consistency
 				color = Tastudio.Palette.CurrentFrame_InputLog;
 			}
-			else if (index < Markers.Count)
+			else if (Tastudio.CurrentTasMovie.LagLog[marker.Frame + 1] is bool lagged)
 			{
-				var marker = Markers[index];
-				bool? lagged = Tastudio.CurrentTasMovie.LagLog[marker.Frame + 1];
-
-				if (lagged.HasValue)
+				if (lagged)
 				{
-					if (lagged.Value)
-					{
-						color = column.Name == "FrameColumn"
-							? Tastudio.Palette.LagZone_FrameCol
-							: Tastudio.Palette.LagZone_InputLog;
-					}
-					else
-					{
-						color = column.Name == "LabelColumn"
-							? Tastudio.Palette.GreenZone_FrameCol
-							: Tastudio.Palette.GreenZone_InputLog;
-					}
+					color = column.Name == "FrameColumn"
+						? Tastudio.Palette.LagZone_FrameCol
+						: Tastudio.Palette.LagZone_InputLog;
+				}
+				else
+				{
+					color = column.Name == "LabelColumn"
+						? Tastudio.Palette.GreenZone_FrameCol
+						: Tastudio.Palette.GreenZone_InputLog;
 				}
 			}
 		}