diff --git a/SYS/KERNEL.S.CIO.txt b/SYS/KERNEL.S.CIO.txt
index ad0971c2..93f59d69 100644
--- a/SYS/KERNEL.S.CIO.txt
+++ b/SYS/KERNEL.S.CIO.txt
@@ -518,10 +518,11 @@ K.AToI			jsr PullPtr1Ptr2		PSTR in Ptr1,buffer in Ptr2
 
 				stz	ASCBUF
 
+				ldx #0
+
 				lda (ZPPtr1)
 				beq .2
 				
-				ldx #0
 				ldy #0
 				
 .1				iny