diff --git a/unpacked/jax/output/HTML-CSS/autoload/menclose.js b/unpacked/jax/output/HTML-CSS/autoload/menclose.js
index 0a06dd5c2..61303bfae 100644
--- a/unpacked/jax/output/HTML-CSS/autoload/menclose.js
+++ b/unpacked/jax/output/HTML-CSS/autoload/menclose.js
@@ -38,13 +38,13 @@ MathJax.Hub.Register.StartupHook("HTML-CSS Jax Ready",function () {
       if (values.color && !this.mathcolor) {values.mathcolor = values.color}
       if (values.thickness == null) {values.thickness = ".075em"}
       if (values.padding == null)   {values.padding   = ".2em"}
+      span = this.HTMLcreateSpan(span);
       var mu = this.HTMLgetMu(span);
+      var scale = this.HTMLgetScale();
       var p = HTMLCSS.length2em(values.padding,mu,1/HTMLCSS.em) * scale;
       var t = HTMLCSS.length2em(values.thickness,mu,1/HTMLCSS.em) * scale;
       var SOLID = HTMLCSS.Em(t)+" solid";
 
-      span = this.HTMLcreateSpan(span);
-      var scale = this.HTMLgetScale();
       var stack = HTMLCSS.createStack(span);
       var base = HTMLCSS.createBox(stack);
       this.HTMLmeasureChild(0,base);