struct frame_info *fi;
   int count;
   int i;
-  struct frame_info *trailing;
-  int trailing_level, py_start = 0, py_end = 0;
+  int py_start = 0, py_end = 0;
   enum ext_lang_bt_status result = EXT_LANG_BT_ERROR;
 
   if (!target_has_stack)
     error (_("No stack."));
 
-  /* The following code must do two things.  First, it must set the
-     variable TRAILING to the frame from which we should start
-     printing.  Second, it must set the variable count to the number
-     of frames which we should print, or -1 if all of them.  */
-  trailing = get_current_frame ();
-
-  trailing_level = 0;
   if (count_exp)
     {
       count = parse_and_eval_long (count_exp);
       if (count < 0)
-       {
-         struct frame_info *current;
-
-         py_start = count;
-         count = -count;
-
-         current = trailing;
-         while (current && count--)
-           {
-             QUIT;
-             current = get_prev_frame (current);
-           }
-
-         /* Will stop when CURRENT reaches the top of the stack.
-            TRAILING will be COUNT below it.  */
-         while (current)
-           {
-             QUIT;
-             trailing = get_prev_frame (trailing);
-             current = get_prev_frame (current);
-             trailing_level++;
-           }
-
-         count = -1;
-       }
+       py_start = count;
       else
        {
          py_start = 0;
       count = -1;
     }
 
-  if (info_verbose)
-    {
-      /* Read in symbols for all of the frames.  Need to do this in a
-         separate pass so that "Reading in symbols for xxx" messages
-         don't screw up the appearance of the backtrace.  Also if
-         people have strong opinions against reading symbols for
-         backtrace this may have to be an option.  */
-      i = count;
-      for (fi = trailing; fi != NULL && i--; fi = get_prev_frame (fi))
-       {
-         CORE_ADDR pc;
-
-         QUIT;
-         pc = get_frame_address_in_block (fi);
-         expand_symtab_containing_pc (pc, find_pc_mapped_section (pc));
-       }
-    }
-
   if (! no_filters)
     {
       enum ext_lang_frame_args arg_type;
      "no-filters" has been specified from the command.  */
   if (no_filters ||  result == EXT_LANG_BT_NO_FILTERS)
     {
+      struct frame_info *trailing;
+
+      /* The following code must do two things.  First, it must set the
+        variable TRAILING to the frame from which we should start
+        printing.  Second, it must set the variable count to the number
+        of frames which we should print, or -1 if all of them.  */
+      trailing = get_current_frame ();
+
+      if (count_exp != NULL && count < 0)
+       {
+         struct frame_info *current;
+
+         count = -count;
+
+         current = trailing;
+         while (current && count--)
+           {
+             QUIT;
+             current = get_prev_frame (current);
+           }
+
+         /* Will stop when CURRENT reaches the top of the stack.
+            TRAILING will be COUNT below it.  */
+         while (current)
+           {
+             QUIT;
+             trailing = get_prev_frame (trailing);
+             current = get_prev_frame (current);
+           }
+
+         count = -1;
+       }
+
+      if (info_verbose)
+       {
+         /* Read in symbols for all of the frames.  Need to do this in a
+            separate pass so that "Reading in symbols for xxx" messages
+            don't screw up the appearance of the backtrace.  Also if
+            people have strong opinions against reading symbols for
+            backtrace this may have to be an option.  */
+         i = count;
+         for (fi = trailing; fi != NULL && i--; fi = get_prev_frame (fi))
+           {
+             CORE_ADDR pc;
+
+             QUIT;
+             pc = get_frame_address_in_block (fi);
+             expand_symtab_containing_pc (pc, find_pc_mapped_section (pc));
+           }
+       }
+
       for (i = 0, fi = trailing; fi && count--; i++, fi = get_prev_frame (fi))
        {
          QUIT;