diff --git a/src/as400_ssha1_fmt_plug.c b/src/as400_ssha1_fmt_plug.c
index 0d5f7e96c28..840d696bda3 100644
--- a/src/as400_ssha1_fmt_plug.c
+++ b/src/as400_ssha1_fmt_plug.c
@@ -152,6 +152,12 @@ static int our_valid(char *ciphertext, struct fmt_main *self)
 	if (!strncmp(ciphertext, "$dynamic_1590$", 14))
 		return pDynamic->methods.valid(ciphertext, pDynamic);
 
+	if (strncmp(ciphertext, FORMAT_TAG, FORMAT_TAG_LEN))
+		return 0;
+	if (hexlenu(&ciphertext[FORMAT_TAG_LEN], 0) != BINARY_SIZE*2)
+		return 0;
+	if (strlen(&ciphertext[FORMAT_TAG_LEN+2*BINARY_SIZE]) > 10)
+		return 0;
 	if (options.input_enc == UTF_8 && !valid_utf8((UTF8*)ciphertext)) {
 		static int error_shown = 0;
 #ifdef HAVE_FUZZ
@@ -163,12 +169,6 @@ static int our_valid(char *ciphertext, struct fmt_main *self)
 		error_shown = 1;
 		return 0;
 	}
-	if (strncmp(ciphertext, FORMAT_TAG, FORMAT_TAG_LEN) != 0)
-		return 0;
-	if (hexlenu(&ciphertext[FORMAT_TAG_LEN], 0) != BINARY_SIZE*2)
-		return 0;
-	if (strlen(&ciphertext[FORMAT_TAG_LEN+2*BINARY_SIZE]) > 10)
-		return 0;
 	return pDynamic->methods.valid(Convert(Conv_Buf, ciphertext), pDynamic);
 }