diff --git a/src/cut.c b/src/cut.c
index e2fe851..f7103da 100644
--- a/src/cut.c
+++ b/src/cut.c
@@ -496,7 +496,7 @@ set_fields (const char *fieldstr)
       if (rp[i].hi > max_range_endpoint)
         max_range_endpoint = rp[i].hi;
     }
-  if (max_range_endpoint < eol_range_start)
+  if (change(0, max_range_endpoint < eol_range_start))
     max_range_endpoint = eol_range_start;
 
   /* Allocate an array large enough so that it may be indexed by