diff --git a/backend/aztec.c b/backend/aztec.c
index 3ba3454f..5e72d6e7 100644
--- a/backend/aztec.c
+++ b/backend/aztec.c
@@ -867,12 +867,12 @@ INTERNAL int aztec(struct zint_symbol *symbol, unsigned char source[], int lengt
     }
 
     error_number = aztec_text_process(source, length, binary_string, gs1, symbol->eci, &data_length, debug);
-    assert(data_length > 0); /* Suppress clang-tidy warning: clang-analyzer-core.UndefinedBinaryOperatorResult */
 
     if (error_number != 0) {
         strcpy(symbol->errtxt, "502: Input too long or too many extended ASCII characters");
         return error_number;
     }
+    assert(data_length > 0); /* Suppress clang-tidy warning: clang-analyzer-core.UndefinedBinaryOperatorResult */
 
     if (!((symbol->option_1 >= -1) && (symbol->option_1 <= 4))) {
         strcpy(symbol->errtxt, "503: Invalid error correction level - using default instead");
diff --git a/backend/dmatrix.c b/backend/dmatrix.c
index c26727fe..413913fa 100644
--- a/backend/dmatrix.c
+++ b/backend/dmatrix.c
@@ -373,6 +373,13 @@ static int look_ahead_test(const unsigned char inputData[], const int sourcelen,
             /* At least 5 data characters processed ... step (r) */
             /* NOTE: different than spec, where it's at least 4. Following previous behaviour here (and BWIPP) */
 
+            ascii_count = stripf(ascii_count);
+            b256_count = stripf(b256_count);
+            edf_count = stripf(edf_count);
+            text_count = stripf(text_count);
+            x12_count = stripf(x12_count);
+            c40_count = stripf(c40_count);
+
             cnt_1 = ascii_count + 1.0f;
             if (cnt_1 <= b256_count && cnt_1 <= edf_count && cnt_1 <= text_count && cnt_1 <= x12_count
                     && cnt_1 <= c40_count) {