diff --git a/ase/test/awk/t19.awk b/ase/test/awk/t19.awk
index 781e7ec1..836544c1 100644
--- a/ase/test/awk/t19.awk
+++ b/ase/test/awk/t19.awk
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-//BEGIN { nlines="0.345"; }
+//BEGIN { nlines="-0.345"; }
       { nlines++; }
 END   { print nlines; }