diff --git a/src/thingdef/thingdef_properties.cpp b/src/thingdef/thingdef_properties.cpp
index e0be27801a..d6b4b321c9 100644
--- a/src/thingdef/thingdef_properties.cpp
+++ b/src/thingdef/thingdef_properties.cpp
@@ -2172,7 +2172,8 @@ static void PowerupColor (FScanner &sc, APowerupGiver *defaults, Baggage &bag)
 	}
 	else
 	{
-		sc.ScriptError("\"%s\" requires an actor of type \"Powerup\"\n", sc.String);
+		sc.ScriptError("\"%s\" requires an actor of type \"Powerup\"\n", sc.String);
+		return;
 	}
 
 	if (sc.CheckNumber())
@@ -2231,6 +2232,8 @@ static void PowerupDuration (FScanner &sc, APowerupGiver *defaults, Baggage &bag
 {
 	int *pEffectTics;
 
+	sc.MustGetNumber();
+
 	if (bag.Info->Class->IsDescendantOf(RUNTIME_CLASS(APowerup)))
 	{
 		pEffectTics = &((APowerup*)defaults)->EffectTics;
@@ -2241,11 +2244,10 @@ static void PowerupDuration (FScanner &sc, APowerupGiver *defaults, Baggage &bag
 	}
 	else
 	{
-		sc.ScriptError("\"%s\" requires an actor of type \"Powerup\"\n", sc.String);
+		sc.ScriptError("\"%s\" requires an actor of type \"Powerup\"\n", sc.String);
+		return;
 	}
-
-	sc.MustGetNumber();
-	*pEffectTics = sc.Number>=0? sc.Number : -sc.Number*TICRATE;
+	*pEffectTics = (sc.Number >= 0) ? sc.Number : -sc.Number * TICRATE;
 }
 
 //==========================================================================
diff --git a/src/thingdef/thingdef_states.cpp b/src/thingdef/thingdef_states.cpp
index 43f57a1fa6..28c92172c9 100644
--- a/src/thingdef/thingdef_states.cpp
+++ b/src/thingdef/thingdef_states.cpp
@@ -492,7 +492,7 @@ int ParseStates(FScanner &sc, FActorInfo * actor, AActor * defaults, Baggage &ba
 	FState * laststate = NULL;
 	intptr_t lastlabel = -1;
 	int minrequiredstate = -1;
-	int spriteindex;
+	int spriteindex = 0;
 	char lastsprite[5]="";
 
 	sc.MustGetStringName ("{");