diff --git a/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/rule/xpath/internal/AstAttributeNode.java b/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/rule/xpath/internal/AstAttributeNode.java
index 7bddc4f9ea..4b6f7f077f 100644
--- a/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/rule/xpath/internal/AstAttributeNode.java
+++ b/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/rule/xpath/internal/AstAttributeNode.java
@@ -68,8 +68,8 @@ class AstAttributeNode extends BaseNodeInfo implements SiblingCountingNode {
 
     @Override
     public AtomicSequence atomize() {
+        getTreeInfo().getLogger().recordUsageOf(attribute);
         if (value == null) {
-            getTreeInfo().getLogger().recordUsageOf(attribute);
             value = DomainConversion.convert(attribute.getValue());
         }
         return value;