diff --git a/coders/braille.c b/coders/braille.c
index fddc06d..59061ed 100644
--- a/coders/braille.c
+++ b/coders/braille.c
@@ -247,6 +247,7 @@
       (void) WriteBlobString(image,"\n");
     }
   (void) SetImageType(image,BilevelType);
+  polarity = 0;
   if (image->storage_class == PseudoClass) {
     polarity=(IndexPacket) (PixelIntensityToQuantum(&image->colormap[0]) >=
       (Quantum) (QuantumRange/2));
@@ -254,7 +255,6 @@
       polarity=(IndexPacket)
         (PixelIntensityToQuantum(&image->colormap[0]) >=
          PixelIntensityToQuantum(&image->colormap[1]));
-    polarity = 0;
   }
   for (y=0; y < (long) image->rows; y+=cell_height)
   {