diff --git a/src/spritesheet.cpp b/src/spritesheet.cpp
index 0514947dbd..f6a50d140b 100644
--- a/src/spritesheet.cpp
+++ b/src/spritesheet.cpp
@@ -68,12 +68,12 @@ bool load_data_file(TbSpriteSheet & sheet, offset_list & offsets, const char * f
     if (LbFileLoadAt(fname, buffer.data()) != data_size) return false;
     // populate sprite data
     for (size_t i = 0; i < num_sprites; ++i) {
-        const auto offset = offsets[i].first;
-        const auto size = offsets[i + 1].first - offset;
+        const auto first = buffer.begin() + offsets[i].first;
+        const auto last = buffer.begin() + offsets[i + 1].first;
         const auto sprite_idx = offsets[i].second;
         auto & sprite = sheet.sprites[sprite_idx];
         auto & data = sheet.data[sprite_idx];
-        data = std::move(std::vector<unsigned char>(&buffer[offset], &buffer[offset + size]));
+        data = std::move(std::vector<unsigned char>(first, last));
         sprite.Data = data.data();
     }
     return true;