diff --git a/src/frontend/subckt.c b/src/frontend/subckt.c
index 367f284ee..97a1e4c62 100644
--- a/src/frontend/subckt.c
+++ b/src/frontend/subckt.c
@@ -674,10 +674,7 @@ doit(struct line *deck, wordlist *modnames) {
 #endif
 
     if(modnames != xmodnames) {
-        if(xmodnames && xmodnames->wl_prev) {
-            xmodnames->wl_prev->wl_next = NULL;
-            xmodnames->wl_prev = NULL;
-        }
+        wl_chop(xmodnames);
         wl_free(modnames);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/include/ngspice/wordlist.h b/src/include/ngspice/wordlist.h
index ade2b43b5..5273973fc 100644
--- a/src/include/ngspice/wordlist.h
+++ b/src/include/ngspice/wordlist.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ wordlist * wl_range(wordlist *wl, int low, int up);
 wordlist *wl_cons(char *word, wordlist *tail);
 void wl_append_word(wordlist **first, wordlist **last, char *word);
 
+wordlist *wl_chop(wordlist *wlist);
 wordlist *wl_chop_rest(wordlist *wlist);
 
 
diff --git a/src/misc/wlist.c b/src/misc/wlist.c
index ad0557155..822534e4f 100644
--- a/src/misc/wlist.c
+++ b/src/misc/wlist.c
@@ -321,6 +321,23 @@ wl_append_word(wordlist **first, wordlist **last, char *word)
 }
 
 
+/*
+ * given a pointer `wl' into a wordlist
+ *   cut off this list from its preceding elements
+ *   and return itself
+ */
+
+wordlist *
+wl_chop(wordlist *wl)
+{
+    if (wl && wl->wl_prev) {
+        wl->wl_prev->wl_next = NULL;
+        wl->wl_prev = NULL;
+    }
+    return wl;
+}
+
+
 /*
  * given a pointer `wl' into a wordlist
  *   cut off the rest of the list