diff --git a/modules/gmt/modgmt_gsfuncs.cpp b/modules/gmt/modgmt_gsfuncs.cpp
index 32f5614..1544645 100644
--- a/modules/gmt/modgmt_gsfuncs.cpp
+++ b/modules/gmt/modgmt_gsfuncs.cpp
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ static int GhostRun(const std::string& opts, struct gs_runtime* r, std::string*
 {
  struct gsworkthreadpars wp;
  int* pret;
+ int ret=0;
 
  wp.r=r;
  wp.input_callback=input;
@@ -96,7 +97,7 @@ static int GhostRun(const std::string& opts, struct gs_runtime* r, std::string*
   ssize_t br;
   char buffer[4096];
 
-  if(0!=pipe(pipefd)) {*pret=-1; goto end;}
+  if(0!=pipe(pipefd)) {ret=-1; goto end;}
   wp.fd=pipefd[1];
 
   out->erase();
@@ -113,6 +114,7 @@ static int GhostRun(const std::string& opts, struct gs_runtime* r, std::string*
  else pret=reinterpret_cast<int*>(gsworkthread(&wp));
 
  end:
+ if(0!=ret) return ret;
  return *pret;
 }
 
diff --git a/modules/gmt/modgmt_internals.cpp b/modules/gmt/modgmt_internals.cpp
index 7cc1744..fb29441 100644
--- a/modules/gmt/modgmt_internals.cpp
+++ b/modules/gmt/modgmt_internals.cpp
@@ -44,8 +44,9 @@ int callgmtmodule(void *api, const char *module, struct GMT_OPTION *opts, std::s
  pthread_t wthr;
  struct gmtworkthreadpars p;
  int *pret;
+ int ret=0;
 
- if(0!=pipe(pipefd)) {*pret=-1; goto end;}
+ if(0!=pipe(pipefd)) {ret=-1; goto end;}
  p.api=api;
  p.module=module;
  p.opts=opts;
@@ -60,6 +61,7 @@ int callgmtmodule(void *api, const char *module, struct GMT_OPTION *opts, std::s
  pthread_join(wthr,reinterpret_cast<void**>(&pret));
 
  end:
+ if(0!=ret) return ret;
  return *pret;
 }
 // Overloaded variant with opts as std::string