diff --git a/src/frontend/inpcom.c b/src/frontend/inpcom.c
index ecfd7e83d..86673a2c1 100644
--- a/src/frontend/inpcom.c
+++ b/src/frontend/inpcom.c
@@ -1013,15 +1013,14 @@ inp_chk_for_multi_in_vcvs(struct line *deck, int *line_number)
                     fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: mal formed line: %s\n", line);
                     controlled_exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
                 }
-                str_ptr2 = skip_back_ws(str_ptr2);
                 str_ptr1 = skip_ws(str_ptr1 + 1);
-                if (str_ptr2[-1] == '}') {
-                    str_ptr2--;
-                    while (*str_ptr2 != '{')
-                        str_ptr2--;
-                    xy_str1 = str_ptr2;
+                xy_str1 = skip_back_ws(str_ptr2);
+                if (xy_str1[-1] == '}') {
+                    xy_str1--;
+                    while (*xy_str1 != '{')
+                        xy_str1--;
                 } else {
-                    xy_str1 = skip_back_non_ws(str_ptr2);
+                    xy_str1 = skip_back_non_ws(xy_str1);
                 }
                 str_ptr2 = skip_back_ws(xy_str1);
                 keep = *str_ptr2;