diff --git a/src/frontend/numparam/xpressn.c b/src/frontend/numparam/xpressn.c
index 9e43cce4a..57a5a6b7a 100644
--- a/src/frontend/numparam/xpressn.c
+++ b/src/frontend/numparam/xpressn.c
@@ -559,7 +559,7 @@ findsubckt(dico_t *dico, const char * const s)
     while (((k_ptr - s) >= 0) && (s[(k_ptr - s)] <= ' '))
         k_ptr--;
 
-    (j_ptr - s) = (int) (k_ptr - s);
+    j_ptr = k_ptr;
 
     while (((k_ptr - s) >= 0) && (s[(k_ptr - s)] > ' '))
         k_ptr--;