diff --git a/picorv32.v b/picorv32.v
index 55e54f5..e6fde6d 100644
--- a/picorv32.v
+++ b/picorv32.v
@@ -316,6 +316,7 @@ module picorv32 #(
 	reg mem_do_rdata;
 	reg mem_do_wdata;
 
+	wire mem_xfer;
 	reg mem_la_secondword, mem_la_firstword_reg, last_mem_valid;
 	wire mem_la_firstword = COMPRESSED_ISA && (mem_do_prefetch || mem_do_rinst) && next_pc[1] && !mem_la_secondword;
 	wire mem_la_firstword_xfer = COMPRESSED_ISA && mem_xfer && (!last_mem_valid ? mem_la_firstword : mem_la_firstword_reg);
@@ -328,7 +329,7 @@ module picorv32 #(
 	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);
+	assign mem_xfer = (mem_valid && mem_ready) || (mem_la_use_prefetched_high_word && mem_do_rinst);
 
 	wire mem_busy = |{mem_do_prefetch, mem_do_rinst, mem_do_rdata, mem_do_wdata};
 	wire mem_done = resetn && ((mem_xfer && |mem_state && (mem_do_rinst || mem_do_rdata || mem_do_wdata)) || (&mem_state && mem_do_rinst)) &&