diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs
index 67fd6f0d5..78176942e 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs
@@ -289,14 +289,14 @@ directivep = (do
 -- Examples: foo.j, ../foo/bar.j, timedot:/foo/2020*, *.journal
 includedirectivep :: MonadIO m => ErroringJournalParser m ()
 includedirectivep = do
+  -- save the position
+  parentoff <- getOffset
+  parentpos <- getSourcePos
   -- parse
   string "include"
   lift skipNonNewlineSpaces1
   prefixedglob <- rstrip . T.unpack <$> takeWhileP Nothing (`notElem` [';','\n'])
   lift followingcommentp
-  -- save the position (does sequencing wrt newline matter ? seems not)
-  parentoff <- getOffset
-  parentpos <- getSourcePos
   -- find file(s)
   let (mprefix,glb) = splitReaderPrefix prefixedglob
   paths <- getFilePaths parentoff parentpos glb