diff --git a/src/js/DefaultRules.js b/src/js/DefaultRules.js
index 4cb6389756cfd5a2feb4633a40df5db1fd2312a0..3b8ad831362497aed4062939fccc33f877db6dbe 100644
--- a/src/js/DefaultRules.js
+++ b/src/js/DefaultRules.js
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ globalThis.DefaultRules = function(slave) {
 		return ""; // exempted
 	}
 
+	let r = "";
 	const slaveReadOnly = createReadonlyProxy(slave);
 	const {rule, ruleIds, sourceRecord} = runWithReadonlyProxy(() => ProcessSlaveRules(slaveReadOnly));
 	slave.currentRules = ruleIds;
@@ -15,7 +16,6 @@ globalThis.DefaultRules = function(slave) {
 		return ""; // no rules apply
 	}
 
-	let r = "";
 	const pronouns = getPronouns(slave);
 	const {he, him, his} = pronouns;