diff --git a/alsactl/utils.c b/alsactl/utils.c

index 072c239..b5d183c 100644

--- a/alsactl/utils.c

+++ b/alsactl/utils.c

@@ -150,10 +150,10 @@ void cerror_(const char *fcn, long line, int cond, const char *fmt, ...)

 	if (!cond && !debugflag)

 		return;

+	va_start(ap, fmt);

 	if (use_syslog) {

 		syslog_(LOG_ERR, fcn, line, fmt, ap);

 	} else {

-		va_start(ap, fmt);

 		fprintf(stderr, "%s: %s:%ld: ", command, fcn, line);

 		vfprintf(stderr, fmt, ap);

 		putc('\n', stderr);

@@ -167,10 +167,10 @@ void dbg_(const char *fcn, long line, const char *fmt, ...)

 	if (!debugflag)

 		return;

+	va_start(ap, fmt);

 	if (use_syslog) {

 		syslog_(LOG_DEBUG, fcn, line, fmt, ap);

 	} else {

-		va_start(ap, fmt);

 		fprintf(stderr, "%s: %s:%ld: ", command, fcn, line);

 		vfprintf(stderr, fmt, ap);

 		putc('\n', stderr);