diff --git a/tools/stats/counts b/tools/stats/counts
index cac67d3387c9f77f727a44cda9a74d8ae435cc07..4f861280052690bc5d4471f301a8c45db0171a92 100755
--- a/tools/stats/counts
+++ b/tools/stats/counts
@@ -19,7 +19,9 @@ while (<LISTS>) {
   $lists++;
 
   open(CONFIG, "$symparoot/expl/$list/config") or warn "cannot open config for $list\n";
-  -f CONFIG and sysread CONFIG, my $_, -s CONFIG;
+  -f CONFIG and sysread CONFIG, my $value, -s CONFIG;
+
+  $_ = $value;
 
   $found=0;