diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 4e0e0f9d..a6001bea 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 procps-ng NEXT
 --------------
   * pgrep: Check sanity of SG_ARG_MAX                      issue #152
+  * top: ensure config file backward compatibility         Debian #951335
 
 procps-ng-3.3.16
 ----------------
diff --git a/top/top.c b/top/top.c
index 63ec5fe0..b4fe21e4 100644
--- a/top/top.c
+++ b/top/top.c
@@ -3939,11 +3939,6 @@ static const char *configs_file (FILE *fp, const char *name, float *delay) {
  // too bad fscanf is not as flexible with his format string as snprintf
  #error Hey, fix the above fscanf 'PFLAGSSIZ' dependency !
 #endif
-      // ensure there's been no manual alteration of fieldscur
-      for (n = 0 ; n < EU_MAXPFLGS; n++) {
-         if (&w->rc.fieldscur[n] != strrchr(w->rc.fieldscur, w->rc.fieldscur[n]))
-            return p;
-      }
       // be tolerant of missing release 3.3.10 graph modes additions
       if (3 > fscanf(fp, "\twinflags=%d, sortindx=%d, maxtasks=%d, graph_cpus=%d, graph_mems=%d\n"
          , &w->rc.winflags, &w->rc.sortindx, &w->rc.maxtasks, &w->rc.graph_cpus, &w->rc.graph_mems))
@@ -3989,6 +3984,11 @@ static const char *configs_file (FILE *fp, const char *name, float *delay) {
                   return p;
             break;
       }
+      // ensure there's been no manual alteration of fieldscur
+      for (n = 0 ; n < EU_MAXPFLGS; n++) {
+         if (&w->rc.fieldscur[n] != strrchr(w->rc.fieldscur, w->rc.fieldscur[n]))
+            return p;
+      }
 #ifndef USE_X_COLHDR
       OFFw(w, NOHIFND_xxx | NOHISEL_xxx);
 #endif