diff --git a/init.el b/init.el
index 66c6c48..1330b74 100644
--- a/init.el
+++ b/init.el
@@ -1623,21 +1623,10 @@ COMMAND and COMINT are like `compile'."
 When EXCLUDE-BRACES is non-nil, don't count the first and last brace of the
 entry as in the entry.  That is, if the point is on the first { or last } of the
 entry, return nil."
-  (save-excursion
-    (when (and exclude-braces (eq ?\} (char-after)))
-      (forward-char))
-    ;; go to top level and check if the character at point is {
-    (let ((start-pos (point))
-          (last-valid (point)))
-      (condition-case nil
-          (while t
-            (backward-up-list 1 t t)
-            (setq last-valid (point)))
-        (error
-         (and
-          (eq ?\{ (char-after last-valid))
-          (or (not exclude-braces)
-              (not (= start-pos last-valid)))))))))
+  (cl-destructuring-bind (depth &rest r) (syntax-ppss)
+    (if (zerop depth)
+        (and (not exclude-braces) (eql (char-after) ?\{))
+      (or (not exclude-braces) (not (eql (char-after) ?\}))))))
 (defvar my/bibtex-indent-width 4
   "Width to indent for `my/bibtex-calculate-indentation'.")
 (defun my/bibtex-calculate-indentation ()