diff --git a/src/frontend/inpcom.c b/src/frontend/inpcom.c
index c207b3a43..187c61b17 100644
--- a/src/frontend/inpcom.c
+++ b/src/frontend/inpcom.c
@@ -1786,6 +1786,49 @@ comment_out_unused_subckt_models(struct line *start_card, int no_of_lines)
 }
 
 
+// find closing paren
+static char *
+inp_search_closing_paren1(char *str_ptr2)
+{
+    int count = 1;
+    // assert(*str_ptr2 == '(')
+    while (count != 0 && *str_ptr2 != '\0') {
+        str_ptr2++;
+        if (*str_ptr2 == '(')
+            count++;
+        if (*str_ptr2 == ')')
+            count--;
+    }
+    if (count != 0)
+        str_ptr2 = NULL;
+    return str_ptr2;
+}
+
+
+static char *
+inp_search_for_closing_paren2(char *str_ptr2)
+{
+    // find end paren ')'
+    bool found_paren = FALSE;
+    int count = 0;
+    // assert(*str_ptr2 == '(')
+    while (*str_ptr2 != '\0') {
+        if (*str_ptr2 == '(') {
+            count++;
+            found_paren = TRUE;
+        }
+        if (*str_ptr2 == ')')
+            count--;
+        str_ptr2++;
+        if (found_paren && count == 0)
+            break;
+    }
+    if (found_paren && count != 0)
+        str_ptr2 = NULL;
+    return str_ptr2;
+}
+
+
 /* replace ternary operator 'conditional ? if : else' by function
  * 'ternary_fcn(conditional, if, else)'
  * in .param, .func, and .meas lines, if all is FALSE,
@@ -1871,21 +1914,6 @@ inp_fix_ternary_operator_str(char *line, bool all)
     // get if
     str_ptr = skip_ws(question + 1);
     if (*str_ptr == '(') {
-        // find closing paren
-      char *inp_search_closing_paren1(char *str_ptr2) {
-        int count = 1;
-        // assert(*str_ptr2 == '(')
-        while (count != 0 && *str_ptr2 != '\0') {
-            str_ptr2++;
-            if (*str_ptr2 == '(')
-                count++;
-            if (*str_ptr2 == ')')
-                count--;
-        }
-        if (count != 0)
-            str_ptr2 = NULL;
-        return str_ptr2;
-      }
         str_ptr2 = inp_search_closing_paren1(str_ptr /* +1 */);
         if (!str_ptr2) {
             fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: problem parsing 'if' of ternary string %s!\n", line);
@@ -1914,26 +1942,6 @@ inp_fix_ternary_operator_str(char *line, bool all)
     str_ptr = skip_ws(colon + 1);
     /* ... : (else) */
     if (*str_ptr == '(') {
-      char *inp_search_for_closing_paren2(char *str_ptr2) {
-        // find end paren ')'
-        bool found_paren = FALSE;
-        int count = 0;
-        // assert(*str_ptr2 == '(')
-        while (*str_ptr2 != '\0') {
-            if (*str_ptr2 == '(') {
-                count++;
-                found_paren = TRUE;
-            }
-            if (*str_ptr2 == ')')
-                count--;
-            str_ptr2++;
-            if (found_paren && count == 0)
-                break;
-        }
-        if (found_paren && count != 0)
-            str_ptr2 = NULL;
-        return str_ptr2;
-      }
         str_ptr2 = inp_search_for_closing_paren2(str_ptr);
         if (!str_ptr2) {
             fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: problem parsing ternary line %s!\n", line);