diff --git a/src/frontend/numparam/xpressn.c b/src/frontend/numparam/xpressn.c
index ae30f4407..7a6504144 100644
--- a/src/frontend/numparam/xpressn.c
+++ b/src/frontend/numparam/xpressn.c
@@ -1378,6 +1378,9 @@ getexpress(const char * const s, SPICE_DSTRINGPTR tstr_p, const char **pi)
 
             char c = *p;
 
+            if (strchr(",;)}", c)) /* legal separators */
+                break;
+
             if (c == '(') {
                 /* sub-formula */
                 int level = 1;
@@ -1395,9 +1398,6 @@ getexpress(const char * const s, SPICE_DSTRINGPTR tstr_p, const char **pi)
                         break;
                 }
             }
-
-            if (strchr(",;)}", c)) /* legal separators */
-                break;
         }
 
         tpe = NUPA_REAL;