diff --git a/Objects/listobject.c b/Objects/listobject.c
index ad27644..ef3700f 100644
--- a/Objects/listobject.c
+++ b/Objects/listobject.c
@@ -1398,7 +1398,7 @@
 	PyObject *compare;
 	PyObject **dest;
 	int result = -1;	/* guilty until proved innocent */
-	Py_ssize_t min_gallop = ms->min_gallop;
+	Py_ssize_t min_gallop;
 
 	assert(ms && pa && pb && na > 0 && nb > 0 && pa + na == pb);
 	if (MERGE_GETMEM(ms, na) < 0)
@@ -1414,6 +1414,7 @@
 	if (na == 1)
 		goto CopyB;
 
+	min_gallop = ms->min_gallop;
 	compare = ms->compare;
 	for (;;) {
 		Py_ssize_t acount = 0;	/* # of times A won in a row */
@@ -1531,7 +1532,7 @@
 	int result = -1;	/* guilty until proved innocent */
 	PyObject **basea;
 	PyObject **baseb;
-	Py_ssize_t min_gallop = ms->min_gallop;
+	Py_ssize_t min_gallop;
 
 	assert(ms && pa && pb && na > 0 && nb > 0 && pa + na == pb);
 	if (MERGE_GETMEM(ms, nb) < 0)
@@ -1550,6 +1551,7 @@
 	if (nb == 1)
 		goto CopyA;
 
+	min_gallop = ms->min_gallop;
 	compare = ms->compare;
 	for (;;) {
 		Py_ssize_t acount = 0;	/* # of times A won in a row */