diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwscript/statsextensions.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwscript/statsextensions.cpp
index 49a483f27..84d9c4d7e 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwscript/statsextensions.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwscript/statsextensions.cpp
@@ -637,6 +637,8 @@ namespace MWScript
 
                 virtual void execute (Interpreter::Runtime& runtime, unsigned int arg0)
                 {
+                    MWWorld::Ptr ptr = R()(runtime);
+
                     std::string factionID = "";
                     if(arg0 >0)
                     {
@@ -645,8 +647,6 @@ namespace MWScript
                     }
                     else
                     {
-                        MWWorld::Ptr ptr = R()(runtime);
-
                         if(ptr.getClass().getNpcStats(ptr).getFactionRanks().empty())
                         {
                             factionID = "";