diff --git a/wolfcrypt/src/ecc.c b/wolfcrypt/src/ecc.c
index 332b89c4d..67e0cab51 100644
--- a/wolfcrypt/src/ecc.c
+++ b/wolfcrypt/src/ecc.c
@@ -8003,15 +8003,15 @@ int wc_ecc_rs_to_sig(const char* r, const char* s, byte* out, word32* outlen)
     if (err == MP_OKAY)
         err = mp_read_radix(stmp, s, MP_RADIX_HEX);
 
-    /* convert mp_ints to ECDSA sig, initializes rtmp and stmp internally */
-    if (err == MP_OKAY)
-        err = StoreECC_DSA_Sig(out, outlen, rtmp, stmp);
-
     if (err == MP_OKAY) {
         if (mp_iszero(rtmp) == MP_YES || mp_iszero(stmp) == MP_YES)
             err = MP_ZERO_E;
     }
 
+    /* convert mp_ints to ECDSA sig, initializes rtmp and stmp internally */
+    if (err == MP_OKAY)
+        err = StoreECC_DSA_Sig(out, outlen, rtmp, stmp);
+
     mp_clear(rtmp);
     mp_clear(stmp);
 #ifdef WOLFSSL_SMALL_STACK