diff --git a/src/spss/readstat_por_read.c b/src/spss/readstat_por_read.c
index 44dc0f48..8657bbcf 100644
--- a/src/spss/readstat_por_read.c
+++ b/src/spss/readstat_por_read.c
@@ -372,6 +372,10 @@ static readstat_error_t read_missing_value_record(por_ctx_t *ctx) {
     }
     varinfo = &ctx->varinfo[ctx->var_offset];
 
+    if (varinfo->n_missing_values >= 3) {
+        retval = READSTAT_ERROR_PARSE;
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
     if (varinfo->type == READSTAT_TYPE_DOUBLE) {
         if ((retval = read_double(ctx, &varinfo->missing_double_values[varinfo->n_missing_values])) != READSTAT_OK) {
             goto cleanup;
@@ -382,10 +386,6 @@ static readstat_error_t read_missing_value_record(por_ctx_t *ctx) {
             goto cleanup;
         }
     }
-    if (varinfo->n_missing_values > 2) {
-        retval = READSTAT_ERROR_PARSE;
-        goto cleanup;
-    }
     varinfo->n_missing_values++;
 
 cleanup: