diff --git a/picorv32.v b/picorv32.v
index 2da99fd..e29f23c 100644
--- a/picorv32.v
+++ b/picorv32.v
@@ -269,6 +269,9 @@ module picorv32 #(
 	reg clear_prefetched_high_word;
 	reg [15:0] mem_16bit_buffer;
 
+	wire [31:0] mem_rdata_latched_noshuffle;
+	wire [31:0] mem_rdata_latched;
+
 	wire mem_la_use_prefetched_high_word = COMPRESSED_ISA && mem_la_firstword && prefetched_high_word && !clear_prefetched_high_word;
 	wire mem_xfer = (mem_valid && mem_ready) || (mem_la_use_prefetched_high_word && mem_do_rinst);
 
@@ -281,9 +284,9 @@ module picorv32 #(
 			(COMPRESSED_ISA && mem_xfer && mem_la_firstword && !mem_la_secondword && &mem_rdata_latched[1:0]));
 	assign mem_la_addr = (mem_do_prefetch || mem_do_rinst) ? {next_pc[31:2] + (mem_xfer && mem_la_firstword), 2'b00} : {reg_op1[31:2], 2'b00};
 
-	wire [31:0] mem_rdata_latched_noshuffle = (mem_xfer || LATCHED_MEM_RDATA) ? mem_rdata : mem_rdata_q;
+	assign mem_rdata_latched_noshuffle = (mem_xfer || LATCHED_MEM_RDATA) ? mem_rdata : mem_rdata_q;
 
-	wire [31:0] mem_rdata_latched = COMPRESSED_ISA && mem_la_use_prefetched_high_word ? {16'bx, mem_16bit_buffer} :
+	assign mem_rdata_latched = COMPRESSED_ISA && mem_la_use_prefetched_high_word ? {16'bx, mem_16bit_buffer} :
 			COMPRESSED_ISA && mem_la_secondword ? {mem_rdata_latched_noshuffle[15:0], mem_16bit_buffer} :
 			COMPRESSED_ISA && mem_la_firstword ? {16'bx, mem_rdata_latched_noshuffle[31:16]} : mem_rdata_latched_noshuffle;