diff --git a/src/SDL12_compat.c b/src/SDL12_compat.c
index 192b9b7fb..fba2e5642 100644
--- a/src/SDL12_compat.c
+++ b/src/SDL12_compat.c
@@ -8454,12 +8454,12 @@ SDL_LoadWAV_RW(SDL12_RWops *rwops12, int freerwops12,
     SDL_RWops *rwops20 = RWops12to20(rwops12);
     SDL_AudioSpec *retval = NULL;
 
+    *buf = NULL;
+
     if (!rwops20) {
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    *buf = NULL;
-
     /* SDL2's LoadWAV requires a seekable stream, but SDL 1.2 didn't,
        so if the stream appears unseekable, try to load it into a
        memory rwops that we _can_ seek in */