diff --git a/src/examples/media-session/match-rules.c b/src/examples/media-session/match-rules.c
index 9dd79f691..af0033c26 100644
--- a/src/examples/media-session/match-rules.c
+++ b/src/examples/media-session/match-rules.c
@@ -39,18 +39,18 @@
 
 static bool find_match(struct spa_json *arr, struct pw_properties *props)
 {
-	struct spa_json it[1];
+	struct spa_json match_obj;
 
-	while (spa_json_enter_object(arr, &it[0]) > 0) {
+	while (spa_json_enter_object(arr, &match_obj) > 0) {
 		char key[256], val[1024];
 		const char *str, *value;
 		int match = 0, fail = 0;
 		int len;
 
-		while (spa_json_get_string(&it[0], key, sizeof(key)-1) > 0) {
+		while (spa_json_get_string(&match_obj, key, sizeof(key)-1) > 0) {
 			bool success = false;
 
-			if ((len = spa_json_next(&it[0], &value)) <= 0)
+			if ((len = spa_json_next(&match_obj, &value)) <= 0)
 				break;
 
 			str = pw_properties_get(props, key);
@@ -91,28 +91,32 @@ static bool find_match(struct spa_json *arr, struct pw_properties *props)
 int sm_media_session_match_rules(const char *rules, size_t size, struct pw_properties *props)
 {
 	const char *val;
-	struct spa_json it[4], actions;
+	struct spa_json actions;
+	struct spa_json it_rules; /* the rules = [] array */
+	struct spa_json it_rules_obj; /* one object within that array */
+	struct spa_json it_element; /* key/value element within that object */
 
-	spa_json_init(&it[0], rules, size);
-	if (spa_json_enter_array(&it[0], &it[1]) < 0)
+	spa_json_init(&it_rules, rules, size);
+	if (spa_json_enter_array(&it_rules, &it_rules_obj) < 0)
 		return 0;
 
-	while (spa_json_enter_object(&it[1], &it[2]) > 0) {
+	while (spa_json_enter_object(&it_rules_obj, &it_element) > 0) {
 		char key[64];
 		bool have_match = false, have_actions = false;
 
-		while (spa_json_get_string(&it[2], key, sizeof(key)-1) > 0) {
+		while (spa_json_get_string(&it_element, key, sizeof(key)-1) > 0) {
 			if (spa_streq(key, "matches")) {
-				if (spa_json_enter_array(&it[2], &it[3]) < 0)
+				struct spa_json it_matches_array;
+				if (spa_json_enter_array(&it_element, &it_matches_array) < 0)
 					break;
 
-				have_match = find_match(&it[3], props);
+				have_match = find_match(&it_matches_array, props);
 			}
 			else if (spa_streq(key, "actions")) {
-				if (spa_json_enter_object(&it[2], &actions) > 0)
+				if (spa_json_enter_object(&it_element, &actions) > 0)
 					have_actions = true;
 			}
-			else if (spa_json_next(&it[2], &val) <= 0)
+			else if (spa_json_next(&it_element, &val) <= 0)
                                 break;
 		}
 		if (!have_match || !have_actions)