diff --git a/src/frontend/numparam/xpressn.c b/src/frontend/numparam/xpressn.c
index 46488bcfe..d2b32fe15 100644
--- a/src/frontend/numparam/xpressn.c
+++ b/src/frontend/numparam/xpressn.c
@@ -1421,7 +1421,7 @@ nupa_assignment(dico_t *dico, const char * const s, char mode)
     /* s has the format: ident = expression; ident= expression ...  */
     const char * const s_end = s + strlen(s);
     const char *p = s;
-    bool error, err;
+    bool error = 0;
     nupa_type dtype;
     int wval = 0;
     double rval = 0.0;
@@ -1431,7 +1431,6 @@ nupa_assignment(dico_t *dico, const char * const s, char mode)
 
     spice_dstring_init(&tstr);
     spice_dstring_init(&ustr);
-    error = 0;
 
     while ((p < s_end) && (*p <= ' '))
         p++;
@@ -1443,41 +1442,48 @@ nupa_assignment(dico_t *dico, const char * const s, char mode)
         while (*p > ' ')
             p++;
 
-    while ((p < s_end) && !error) {
+    while (p < s_end) {
 
         p = getword(p, &tstr) + 1;
         t_p = spice_dstring_value(&tstr);
-        if (t_p[0] == '\0')
+        if (t_p[0] == '\0') {
             error = message(dico, " Identifier expected\n");
+            break;
+        }
 
-        if (!error) {
             /* assignment expressions */
             while ((p <= s_end) && (p[-1] != '='))
                 p++;
 
-            if (p > s_end)
+            if (p > s_end) {
                 error = message(dico, " = sign expected.\n");
+                break;
+            }
 
             p = getexpress(&dtype, &ustr, p) + 1;
 
             if (dtype == NUPA_REAL) {
                 const char *tmp = spice_dstring_value(&ustr);
                 rval = formula(dico, tmp, tmp + strlen(tmp), &error);
-                if (error)
+                if (error) {
                     message(dico,
                             " Formula() error.\n"
                             "      %s\n", s);
+                    break;
+                }
             } else if (dtype == NUPA_STRING) {
                 wval = (int) (p - s);
             }
 
-            err = nupa_define(dico, spice_dstring_value(&tstr), mode /* was ' ' */ ,
+            error = nupa_define(dico, spice_dstring_value(&tstr), mode /* was ' ' */ ,
                          dtype, rval, wval, NULL);
-            error = error || err;
-        }
+            if (error)
+                break;
 
-        if ((p < s_end) && (p[-1] != ';'))
+        if ((p < s_end) && (p[-1] != ';')) {
             error = message(dico, " ; sign expected.\n");
+            break;
+        }
         /* else
            p++; */
     }