diff --git a/lua/treemonkey.lua b/lua/treemonkey.lua
index 20e5189..32354fa 100644
--- a/lua/treemonkey.lua
+++ b/lua/treemonkey.lua
@@ -22,9 +22,10 @@ local function getcharstr()
 	end
 end
 
----@param opts { row: integer, col: integer, label: string, hi?: string, buf?: integer }
-local function mark_label(opts)
-	return vim.api.nvim_buf_set_extmark(opts.buf or 0, M.namespace, opts.row, opts.col, {
+---@param buf integer
+---@param opts { row: integer, col: integer, label: string, hi: string }
+local function mark_label(buf, opts)
+	return vim.api.nvim_buf_set_extmark(buf, M.namespace, opts.row, opts.col, {
 		virt_text = { { opts.label, opts.hi or "@text.warning" } },
 		virt_text_pos = "overlay",
 	})
@@ -184,18 +185,13 @@ local function choose_node(nodes, opts)
 		return
 	end
 
-	-- if choice is made by a label without upper case (e.g., 1, 2, 3, !, @, ...),
-	if opts.steps == 1 or first_label:lower() == first_label:upper() then
-		return first_choice
-	end
-
 	local ambiguity = positions[first_choice.row][first_choice.col]
-	if opts.steps == nil and #ambiguity == 1 then
-		return ambiguity[1]
-	end
-
-	if opts.steps ~= nil and opts.steps ~= 2 then
-		error("TreemonkeyOpts.steps should be one of nil, 1 or 2")
+	if
+		opts.steps == 1 -- user wants to explicitly stop at here
+		or first_label:lower() == first_label:upper() -- choice is made by a label without upper case (e.g, 1, !, ...)
+		or (opts.steps == nil and #ambiguity == 1) -- second step is not required
+	then
+		return first_choice
 	end
 
 	--[[ second choice ]]
@@ -243,11 +239,17 @@ end
 ---@param opts? TreemonkeyOpts
 ---@return TreemonkeyOpts
 local function init_opts(opts)
-	return vim.tbl_deep_extend("keep", opts or {}, {
+	local o = vim.tbl_deep_extend("keep", opts or {}, {
 		highlight = { label = "@text.warning" },
 		labels = labels_default,
 		experimental = {},
 	})
+
+	if o.steps ~= nil and o.steps ~= 1 and o.steps ~= 2 then
+		error("TreemonkeyOpts.steps should be one of nil, 1 or 2")
+	end
+
+	return o
 end
 
 ---@param opts TreemonkeyOpts?