diff --git a/src/frontend/numparam/xpressn.c b/src/frontend/numparam/xpressn.c
index 2e777d23e..e39c46232 100644
--- a/src/frontend/numparam/xpressn.c
+++ b/src/frontend/numparam/xpressn.c
@@ -1640,10 +1640,10 @@ nupa_subcktcall(dico_t *dico, char *s, char * const x, char * const inst_name)
 
                 if (alfanum(t_p[(kp - t_p)]) || t_p[(kp - t_p)] == '.') {
                     /* number, identifier */
-                    int h = (int) (kp - t_p);
+                    int (hp - t_p) = (int) (kp - t_p);
                     while (t_p[(kp - t_p)] > ' ')
                         kp++;
-                    pscopy(&ustr, t_p, h, (int) (kp - t_p) - h);
+                    pscopy(&ustr, t_p, (int) (hp - t_p), (int) (kp - t_p) - (int) (hp - t_p));
                     jp = t_p + (kp - t_p);
                 } else if (t_p[(kp - t_p)] == '{') {
                     jp = t_p + (int) (getexpress(NULL, &ustr, t_p + (jp - t_p)) - t_p);