diff --git a/src/frontend/rawfile.c b/src/frontend/rawfile.c
index 8df116950..2364b64fc 100644
--- a/src/frontend/rawfile.c
+++ b/src/frontend/rawfile.c
@@ -467,16 +467,18 @@ raw_read(char *name) {
                 v = alloc(struct dvec);
                 ZERO(v, struct dvec);
                 v->v_type = SV_NOTYPE;
-                v->v_next = curpl->pl_dvecs;
-                curpl->pl_dvecs = v;
-                if (!curpl->pl_scale)
-                    curpl->pl_scale = v;
                 v->v_flags = (short)flags;
-                v->v_plot = curpl;
                 v->v_length = npoints;
                 v->v_numdims = 0;
                 /* Length and dims might be changed by options. */
 
+                v->v_plot = curpl;
+
+                v->v_next = curpl->pl_dvecs;
+                curpl->pl_dvecs = v;
+                if (!curpl->pl_scale)
+                    curpl->pl_scale = v;
+
                 if (!i) {
                     curpl->pl_scale = v;
                 } else {