diff --git a/source/texk/web2c/mplibdir/mpxout.w b/source/texk/web2c/mplibdir/mpxout.w
index 3fb484887bf075b5f3f44aa557e264126bf9fed8..39ebe328bd3bd7ee4a350c20f1affbd1612f4612 100644
--- a/source/texk/web2c/mplibdir/mpxout.w
+++ b/source/texk/web2c/mplibdir/mpxout.w
@@ -656,11 +656,11 @@ static void mpx_mpto(MPX mpx, char *tmpname, char *mptexpre) {
          mpx_copy_mpto(mpx, outfile, FIRST_VERBATIM_TEX);
       else
          mpx_copy_mpto(mpx, outfile, VERBATIM_TEX);
+      verbatim_written = 1;
       fprintf(outfile,"%s", mpx_postverb[mode]);
     } else {
       mpx_error(mpx,"unmatched etex");
     }
-    verbatim_written = 1;
   }
 }