diff --git a/src/frontend/numparam/xpressn.c b/src/frontend/numparam/xpressn.c
index 3e55aa67e..4a5b994b3 100644
--- a/src/frontend/numparam/xpressn.c
+++ b/src/frontend/numparam/xpressn.c
@@ -525,10 +525,10 @@ defsubckt(dico_t *dico, struct card *card, nupa_type categ)
     while (((i_ptr - s) < (ls_ptr - s)) && (s[(i_ptr - s)] <= ' '))
         i_ptr++;                /* skip blank */
 
-    (j_ptr - s) = (int) (i_ptr - s);
+    j_ptr = i_ptr;
 
     while (((j_ptr - s) < (ls_ptr - s)) && (s[(j_ptr - s)] > ' '))
-        (j_ptr - s)++;
+        j_ptr++;
 
     if ((j_ptr - s) > (i_ptr - s)) {
         SPICE_DSTRING ustr;     /* temp user string */