diff --git a/usr.bin/sort/append.c b/usr.bin/sort/append.c
index ecedf69890f8..a64884a1306e 100644
--- a/usr.bin/sort/append.c
+++ b/usr.bin/sort/append.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/*	$NetBSD: append.c,v 1.12 2003/08/07 11:32:34 jdolecek Exp $	*/
+/*	$NetBSD: append.c,v 1.13 2004/02/15 11:52:12 jdolecek Exp $	*/
 
 /*-
  * Copyright (c) 2000-2003 The NetBSD Foundation, Inc.
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@
 #include "sort.h"
 
 #ifndef lint
-__RCSID("$NetBSD: append.c,v 1.12 2003/08/07 11:32:34 jdolecek Exp $");
+__RCSID("$NetBSD: append.c,v 1.13 2004/02/15 11:52:12 jdolecek Exp $");
 __SCCSID("@(#)append.c	8.1 (Berkeley) 6/6/93");
 #endif /* not lint */
 
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ append(keylist, nelem, depth, fp, put, ftbl)
 	struct field *ftbl;
 {
 	u_char *wts, *wts1;
-	int n, odepth;
+	int n, odepth = depth;
 	const u_char **cpos, **ppos, **lastkey;
 	const u_char *cend, *pend, *start;
 	const struct recheader *crec, *prec;
@@ -120,7 +120,6 @@ append(keylist, nelem, depth, fp, put, ftbl)
 			wts1 = Rascii;
 		else if (ftbl[0].flags & F)
 			wts1 = ascii;
-		odepth = depth;
 	}
 	lastkey = keylist + nelem;
 	depth += sizeof(TRECHEADER);
diff --git a/usr.bin/sort/files.c b/usr.bin/sort/files.c
index af9b46f1d4a8..deab2c66ce54 100644
--- a/usr.bin/sort/files.c
+++ b/usr.bin/sort/files.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/*	$NetBSD: files.c,v 1.22 2003/10/18 03:03:20 itojun Exp $	*/
+/*	$NetBSD: files.c,v 1.23 2004/02/15 11:52:12 jdolecek Exp $	*/
 
 /*-
  * Copyright (c) 2000-2003 The NetBSD Foundation, Inc.
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@
 #include "fsort.h"
 
 #ifndef lint
-__RCSID("$NetBSD: files.c,v 1.22 2003/10/18 03:03:20 itojun Exp $");
+__RCSID("$NetBSD: files.c,v 1.23 2004/02/15 11:52:12 jdolecek Exp $");
 __SCCSID("@(#)files.c	8.1 (Berkeley) 6/6/93");
 #endif /* not lint */
 
@@ -318,11 +318,12 @@ seq(fp, line, key)
 	u_char *nlinebuf;
 
 	if (flag) {
+		/* one-time initialization */
 		flag = 0;
 		buf = (char *) linebuf;
-		end = buf + linebuf_size;
 		line->data = buf;
 	}
+	end = buf + linebuf_size;
 	pos = buf;
 	while ((c = getc(fp)) != EOF) {
 		if ((*pos++ = c) == REC_D) {