diff --git a/lib/gis/debug.c b/lib/gis/debug.c
index 034ab8dc690..b0d42260528 100644
--- a/lib/gis/debug.c
+++ b/lib/gis/debug.c
@@ -72,8 +72,6 @@ int G_debug(int level, const char *msg, ...)
     G_init_debug();
 
     if (grass_debug_level >= level) {
-        va_start(ap, msg);
-
         filen = getenv("GRASS_DEBUG_FILE");
         if (filen != NULL) {
             fd = fopen(filen, "a");
@@ -87,14 +85,14 @@ int G_debug(int level, const char *msg, ...)
         }
 
         fprintf(fd, "D%d/%d: ", level, grass_debug_level);
+        va_start(ap, msg);
         vfprintf(fd, msg, ap);
+        va_end(ap);
         fprintf(fd, "\n");
         fflush(fd);
 
         if (filen != NULL)
             fclose(fd);
-
-        va_end(ap);
     }
 
     return 1;