diff --git a/libcob/strings.c b/libcob/strings.c
index 838ba0a0f..4c435bc2d 100644
--- a/libcob/strings.c
+++ b/libcob/strings.c
@@ -473,12 +473,12 @@ inspect_common (
 static COB_INLINE COB_A_INLINE void
 cob_inspect_init_common_mt (struct cob_inspect_state **pst, cob_field *var)
 {
+	struct cob_inspect_state *st;
 	if (*pst == NULL) {
 		*pst = malloc (sizeof(struct cob_inspect_state));
 		(*pst)->mark = NULL;
 		(*pst)->repdata = NULL;
 	}
-	struct cob_inspect_state *st;
 	st = *pst;
 
 	if (COB_FIELD_HAVE_SIGN (var) && !COB_FIELD_SIGN_SEPARATE(var)) {
@@ -503,8 +503,8 @@ cob_inspect_init_common_mt (struct cob_inspect_state **pst, cob_field *var)
 void
 cob_inspect_init_mt (struct cob_inspect_state **pst, cob_field *var, const cob_u32_t replacing)
 {
-	cob_inspect_init_common_mt (pst, var);
 	struct cob_inspect_state *st;
+	cob_inspect_init_common_mt (pst, var);
 	st = *pst;
 	st->replacing = replacing;
 
@@ -545,8 +545,8 @@ cob_inspect_init (cob_field *var, const cob_u32_t replacing)
 void
 cob_inspect_init_converting_mt (struct cob_inspect_state **pst, cob_field *var)
 {
-	cob_inspect_init_common_mt (pst, var);
 	struct cob_inspect_state *st;
+	cob_inspect_init_common_mt (pst, var);
 	st = *pst;
 	st->replacing = 0;	/* only set for pre 3.2 compat because of cob_inspect_finish */
 }
@@ -899,9 +899,9 @@ cob_inspect_finish (void)
 void
 cob_string_init_mt (struct cob_string_state **pst, cob_field *dst, cob_field *ptr)
 {
+	struct cob_string_state *st;
 	if (*pst == NULL)
 		*pst = malloc (sizeof(struct cob_string_state));
-	struct cob_string_state *st;
 	st = *pst;
 
 	st->dst_copy = *dst;
@@ -1019,11 +1019,11 @@ cob_unstring_init_mt (
 	const size_t num_dlm
 )
 {
+	struct cob_unstring_state *st;
 	if (*pst == NULL) {
 		*pst = malloc (sizeof(struct cob_unstring_state));
 		(*pst)->dlm_list = NULL;
 	}
-	struct cob_unstring_state *st;
 	st = *pst;
 
 	st->src_copy = *src;