diff --git a/lib/mu-query.cc b/lib/mu-query.cc
index 5761f2a0..a32094d5 100644
--- a/lib/mu-query.cc
+++ b/lib/mu-query.cc
@@ -115,13 +115,13 @@ public:
 		if (!substitute_size (begin) || !substitute_size (end))
 			return Xapian::BAD_VALUENO;
 
+		begin = Xapian::sortable_serialise (atol(begin.c_str()));
+		end = Xapian::sortable_serialise (atol(end.c_str()));
+                
 		/* swap if b > e */
 		if (begin > end)
 			std::swap (begin, end);
 
-		begin = Xapian::sortable_serialise (atol(begin.c_str()));
-		end = Xapian::sortable_serialise (atol(end.c_str()));
-
 		return (Xapian::valueno)MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_SIZE;
 	}
 private:
diff --git a/mu/tests/test-mu-query.c b/mu/tests/test-mu-query.c
index 373d017e..73cbd3f4 100644
--- a/mu/tests/test-mu-query.c
+++ b/mu/tests/test-mu-query.c
@@ -507,6 +507,7 @@ test_mu_query_sizes (void)
 	int i;
 	QResults queries[] = {
 		{ "size:0b..2m", 19},
+		{ "size:3b..2m", 19},
 		{ "size:2k..4k", 4},
 		{ "size:2m..0b", 19}
 	};