diff --git a/plugin/syntastic.vim b/plugin/syntastic.vim
index df15f4a2..f7db8950 100644
--- a/plugin/syntastic.vim
+++ b/plugin/syntastic.vim
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ if has('reltime')
     lockvar! g:syntastic_start
 endif
 
-let g:syntastic_version = '3.4.0-79'
+let g:syntastic_version = '3.4.0-80'
 lockvar g:syntastic_version
 
 " Sanity checks {{{1
diff --git a/syntax_checkers/ruby/rubylint.vim b/syntax_checkers/ruby/rubylint.vim
index 182abf71..07f0d4f0 100644
--- a/syntax_checkers/ruby/rubylint.vim
+++ b/syntax_checkers/ruby/rubylint.vim
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ let s:save_cpo = &cpo
 set cpo&vim
 
 function! SyntaxCheckers_ruby_rubylint_GetLocList() dict
-    if !exists(s:rubylint_new)
+    if !exists('s:rubylint_new')
         let s:rubylint_new = syntastic#util#versionIsAtLeast(syntastic#util#getVersion(
             \ self.getExecEscaped() . ' --version'), [2])
     endif