diff --git a/src/lay/lay/layMacroEditorPage.cc b/src/lay/lay/layMacroEditorPage.cc
index 08894123a..55d80cacf 100644
--- a/src/lay/lay/layMacroEditorPage.cc
+++ b/src/lay/lay/layMacroEditorPage.cc
@@ -638,7 +638,7 @@ void MacroEditorPage::cursor_position_changed ()
       QString t = b.text ().mid (int (pos), 1);
       forward = (t == open_rbracket || t == open_sqbracket || t == open_cbracket);
     }
-    if (e != user_data->elements ().begin () && e[-1].start_offset + e[-1].length >= pos && valid_element (*e)) {
+    if (e != user_data->elements ().begin () && e[-1].start_offset + e[-1].length >= pos && valid_element (e[-1])) {
       QString t = b.text ().mid (int (pos) - 1, 1);
       backward = (t == close_rbracket || t == close_sqbracket || t == close_cbracket);
     }