diff --git a/src/frontend/inpcom.c b/src/frontend/inpcom.c
index 244bd2ec0..1c9b8c1e2 100644
--- a/src/frontend/inpcom.c
+++ b/src/frontend/inpcom.c
@@ -1242,7 +1242,7 @@ inp_chk_for_multi_in_vcvs(struct line *c, int *line_number)
                  (fcn_b = strstr(line, "or(")) != NULL) &&
                 isspace_c(fcn_b[-1]))
             {
-                struct line *model_card, *next_card;
+                struct line *model_card;
                 char keep, *comma_ptr, *xy_values1[5], *xy_values2[5];
                 char *out_str, *ctrl_nodes_str, *xy_values1_b, *ref_str, *fcn_name, *fcn_e, *out_b, *out_e, *ref_e;
                 char *m_instance, *m_model;
@@ -1351,9 +1351,8 @@ inp_chk_for_multi_in_vcvs(struct line *c, int *line_number)
                 tfree(xy_values2[1]);
 
                 *c->li_line = '*';
-                next_card   = c->li_next;
-                c = c->li_next = xx_new_line(NULL, m_instance, (*line_number)++, 0);
-                model_card = xx_new_line(next_card, m_model, (*line_number)++, 0);
+                c = c->li_next = xx_new_line(c->li_next, m_instance, (*line_number)++, 0);
+                model_card = xx_new_line(c->li_next, m_model, (*line_number)++, 0);
                 c->li_next = model_card;
                 // skip these two new cards
                 c = model_card;