diff --git a/src/vim9script.c b/src/vim9script.c
index 9aa33d0..b73b592 100644
--- a/src/vim9script.c
+++ b/src/vim9script.c
@@ -358,15 +358,14 @@
 		}
 		sv = NULL;
 	    }
+	    *arg = cc;
+	    arg = skipwhite(arg);
 
 	    imported = new_imported(gap != NULL ? gap
 				       : &SCRIPT_ITEM(import_sid)->sn_imports);
 	    if (imported == NULL)
 		return NULL;
 
-	    *arg = cc;
-	    arg = skipwhite(arg);
-
 	    // TODO: check for "as" following
 	    // imported->imp_name = vim_strnsave(as_ptr, as_len);
 	    imported->imp_name = vim_strnsave(name, name_len);