diff --git a/expertWires.js b/expertWires.js
index d07ece7..4eec7dd 100644
--- a/expertWires.js
+++ b/expertWires.js
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@ var drawlayers = [true, true, true, true, true, true];
 var moveHereFirst;
 var expertMode=false
 var animateChipLayout = true;
-var chipLayoutIsVisible = true;
 var userCode=[];
 var userResetLow;
 var userResetHigh;
@@ -338,4 +337,3 @@ function setChipStyle(props){
 		hitbuffer.style[i] = props[i];
 	}
 }
-
diff --git a/wires.js b/wires.js
index 698304a..f3198a1 100644
--- a/wires.js
+++ b/wires.js
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ var nodenamelist=[];
 var ngnd = nodenames['vss'];
 var npwr = nodenames['vcc'];
 
+var chipLayoutIsVisible = true;  // only modified in expert mode
+
 function setupNodes(){
 	for(var i in segdefs){
 		var seg = segdefs[i];
@@ -130,7 +132,7 @@ function hexdigit(n){return '0123456789ABCDEF'.charAt(n);}
 /////////////////////////
 
 function refresh(){
-	if(typeof chipLayoutIsVisible == undefined || !chipLayoutIsVisible) return;
+	if(!chipLayoutIsVisible) return;
 	ctx.clearRect(0,0,grCanvasSize,grCanvasSize);
 	for(i in nodes){
 		if(isNodeHigh(i)) overlayNode(nodes[i].segs);