diff --git a/Inst_eddies/inst_eddies.f90 b/Inst_eddies/inst_eddies.f90
index abf5b600f245d089539a7a12d4e6600b1a91721e..85c2862aaa22919c515dc3404d76c744b51d084c 100644
--- a/Inst_eddies/inst_eddies.f90
+++ b/Inst_eddies/inst_eddies.f90
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ program inst_eddies
 
   call assert(IEEE_SUPPORT_DATATYPE(0.), ieee_support_nan(0.), &
        "inst_eddies: not enough IEEE support")
+  inquire(file = "SHPC_cyclo/extremum.shp", exist = exist)
   call config ! We need main_nml before looking at the input files.
   call nf95_open("h.nc", nf90_nowrite, ncid)
   call find_coord(ncid, varid = varid, std_name = "time")
@@ -179,8 +180,6 @@ program inst_eddies
 
   ! Write snapshot:
 
-  inquire(file = "SHPC_cyclo/extremum.shp", exist = exist)
-  
   if (exist) then
      call shpc_open(hshpc_cyclo, shpc_dir = "SHPC_cyclo", rank = 0, &
           pszaccess = "rb+")