diff --git a/packages/babel-traverse/src/path/evaluation.js b/packages/babel-traverse/src/path/evaluation.js
index 67c96f6869..804c40ee6d 100644
--- a/packages/babel-traverse/src/path/evaluation.js
+++ b/packages/babel-traverse/src/path/evaluation.js
@@ -195,27 +195,35 @@ export function evaluate(): { confident: boolean; value: any } {
     }
 
     if (path.isLogicalExpression()) {
-      // If we are confident that one side of an && is false, or one side of
-      // an || is true, we can be confident about the entire expression
+      // If we are confident that one side of an && is false, or the left
+      // side of an || is true, we can be confident about the entire expression
       let wasConfident = confident;
       let left = evaluate(path.get("left"));
       let leftConfident = confident;
       confident = wasConfident;
       let right = evaluate(path.get("right"));
       let rightConfident = confident;
-      let uncertain = leftConfident !== rightConfident;
       confident = leftConfident && rightConfident;
 
       switch (node.operator) {
         case "||":
-          if ((left || right) && uncertain) {
+          // TODO consider having a "truthy type" that doesn't bail on
+          // left uncertainity but can still evaluate to truthy.
+          if (left && leftConfident) {
             confident = true;
+            return left;
           }
+
+          if (!confident) return;
+
           return left || right;
         case "&&":
           if ((!left && leftConfident) || (!right && rightConfident)) {
             confident = true;
           }
+
+          if (!confident) return;
+
           return left && right;
       }
     }