diff --git a/WOPO-CNF.COB b/WOPO-CNF.COB
index f01c455..d0203bc 100644
--- a/WOPO-CNF.COB
+++ b/WOPO-CNF.COB
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@
            IF INSTRUCTION OF CURRENT-INSTRUCTION IS EQUAL TO SPACES THEN
       D        DISPLAY "DONE WRITING PROGRAM ",
       D                NAME OF INDEX-ENTRY, "."
-               MOVE 0 TO NEXT-IP OF PROGRAM-RECORD
+               MOVE 999 TO NEXT-IP OF PROGRAM-RECORD
                MOVE 99 TO STATE
            ELSE
       D        DISPLAY "ACCEPTED INSTRUCTION. ",
diff --git a/WOPO.COB b/WOPO.COB
index b7e373d..f7dbdb7 100644
--- a/WOPO.COB
+++ b/WOPO.COB
@@ -1201,7 +1201,8 @@
                   WITH POINTER PTR(1).
            PERFORM BEGIN-STANDARD-REPLY.
            PERFORM DO-OUTPUT.
-           IF NEXT-IP OF PROGRAM-RECORD IS NOT EQUAL TO 0 THEN
+      D    DISPLAY "NEXT-IP. ", NEXT-IP
+           IF NEXT-IP OF PROGRAM-RECORD IS LESS THAN 999 THEN
                MOVE NEXT-IP OF PROGRAM-RECORD TO PROGRAM-IP
            ELSE
                MOVE 99 TO STATE.
@@ -1252,7 +1253,7 @@
            IF IN-REG IS NOT EQUAL TO 9 THEN
                MOVE IN-REG TO INPUT-SOURCE
            ELSE
-               IF NEXT-IP OF PROGRAM-RECORD IS EQUAL TO 0 THEN
+               IF NEXT-IP OF PROGRAM-RECORD IS NOT LESS THAN 999 THEN
                    STRING "MISSING INPUT RECORD FOR INSTRUCTION ",
                           PROGRAM-IP,
                           " IN PROGRAM " DELIMITED BY SIZE,
@@ -1290,7 +1291,7 @@
                    PERFORM BEGIN-STANDARD-REPLY
                    PERFORM DO-OUTPUT
                    MOVE 99 TO STATE.
-           IF NEXT-IP OF PROGRAM-RECORD IS EQUAL TO 0 THEN
+           IF NEXT-IP OF PROGRAM-RECORD IS NOT LESS THAN 999 THEN
                MOVE 99 TO STATE
            ELSE
                MOVE NEXT-IP OF PROGRAM-RECORD TO PROGRAM-IP.