diff --git a/libavcodec/vc1.c b/libavcodec/vc1.c
index 21449bdb6d..d2e1e69b20 100644
--- a/libavcodec/vc1.c
+++ b/libavcodec/vc1.c
@@ -826,6 +826,7 @@ int ff_vc1_parse_frame_header_adv(VC1Context *v, GetBitContext* gb)
     int mbmodetab, imvtab, icbptab, twomvbptab, fourmvbptab; /* useful only for debugging */
     int scale, shift, i; /* for initializing LUT for intensity compensation */
 
+    v->numref          = 0;
     v->p_frame_skipped = 0;
     if (v->second_field) {
         v->s.pict_type = (v->fptype & 1) ? AV_PICTURE_TYPE_P : AV_PICTURE_TYPE_I;
@@ -992,8 +993,6 @@ int ff_vc1_parse_frame_header_adv(VC1Context *v, GetBitContext* gb)
                 v->reffield          = get_bits1(gb);
                 v->ref_field_type[0] = v->reffield ^ !v->cur_field_type;
             }
-        } else {
-            v->numref = 0;
         }
         if (v->extended_mv)
             v->mvrange = get_unary(gb, 0, 3);