diff --git a/src/frontend/inpcom.c b/src/frontend/inpcom.c
index 08c65d539..1f17051ec 100644
--- a/src/frontend/inpcom.c
+++ b/src/frontend/inpcom.c
@@ -1248,12 +1248,13 @@ get_instance_subckt(char *line)
     // see if instance has parameters
     if (equal_ptr) {
         end_ptr = skip_back_ws(equal_ptr - 1);
-        end_ptr = skip_back_non_ws(end_ptr);
-        end_ptr = skip_back_ws(end_ptr) + 1;
+        end_ptr = skip_back_non_ws(end_ptr) + 1;
     } else {
         end_ptr = line + strlen(line);
     }
 
+    end_ptr = skip_back_ws(end_ptr - 1) + 1;
+
     inst_name_ptr = skip_back_non_ws(end_ptr - 1) + 1;
     return copy_substring(inst_name_ptr, end_ptr);
 }