diff --git a/src/effects/backends/builtin/metronomeeffect.cpp b/src/effects/backends/builtin/metronomeeffect.cpp
index 21c318c53e7..68c8d375333 100644
--- a/src/effects/backends/builtin/metronomeeffect.cpp
+++ b/src/effects/backends/builtin/metronomeeffect.cpp
@@ -137,11 +137,11 @@ void MetronomeEffect::processChannel(
 
     if (shouldSync && hasBeatInfo) {
         double beatFractionBufferEnd = *groupFeatures.beat_fraction_buffer_end;
-        std::optional<GroupFeatureBeatLength> beatLengthAndScratch = groupFeatures.beat_length;
-        if (!beatLengthAndScratch.has_value() || beatLengthAndScratch->scratch_rate == 0.0) {
+        GroupFeatureBeatLength beatLengthAndScratch = *groupFeatures.beat_length;
+        if (beatLengthAndScratch.scratch_rate == 0.0) {
             return;
         }
-        double beatLength = beatLengthAndScratch->frames / beatLengthAndScratch->scratch_rate;
+        double beatLength = beatLengthAndScratch.frames / beatLengthAndScratch.scratch_rate;
         const bool needsPreviousBeat = beatLength < 0;
         double beatToBufferEndFrames = std::abs(beatLength) *
                 (needsPreviousBeat ? (1 - beatFractionBufferEnd)