diff --git a/ion/include/ion/unicode/utf8_helper.h b/ion/include/ion/unicode/utf8_helper.h
index a0abfcc04..3a6eb9a00 100644
--- a/ion/include/ion/unicode/utf8_helper.h
+++ b/ion/include/ion/unicode/utf8_helper.h
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ void CopyAndRemoveCodePoint(char * dst, size_t dstSize, const char * src, CodePo
 
 /* Remove all code points c. and update an index that should be lower if code
  * points where removed before it. Ensure null-termination of dst. */
-void RemoveCodePoint(char * buffer, CodePoint c, const char * * indexToDUpdate = nullptr, const char * stoppingPosition = nullptr);
+void RemoveCodePoint(char * buffer, CodePoint c, const char * * indexToUpdate = nullptr, const char * stoppingPosition = nullptr);
 
 /* Copy src into dst until end of dst or code point c, with null termination. Return the length of the copy */
 size_t CopyUntilCodePoint(char * dst, size_t dstSize, const char * src, CodePoint c);
diff --git a/ion/src/shared/unicode/utf8_helper.cpp b/ion/src/shared/unicode/utf8_helper.cpp
index 5a9e66c16..9f9537bb1 100644
--- a/ion/src/shared/unicode/utf8_helper.cpp
+++ b/ion/src/shared/unicode/utf8_helper.cpp
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ void RemoveCodePoint(char * buffer, CodePoint c, const char * * pointerToUpdate,
   UTF8Decoder decoder(buffer);
   const char * currentPointer = buffer;
   CodePoint codePoint = decoder.nextCodePoint();
+  const char * initialPointerToUpdate =  *pointerToUpdate;
   const char * nextPointer = decoder.stringPosition();
   size_t bufferIndex = 0;
   size_t codePointCharSize = UTF8Decoder::CharSizeOfCodePoint(c);
@@ -128,7 +129,7 @@ void RemoveCodePoint(char * buffer, CodePoint c, const char * * pointerToUpdate,
       int copySize = nextPointer - currentPointer;
       memmove(buffer + bufferIndex, currentPointer, copySize);
       bufferIndex+= copySize;
-    } else if (pointerToUpdate != nullptr && currentPointer < *pointerToUpdate) {
+    } else if (pointerToUpdate != nullptr && currentPointer < initialPointerToUpdate) {
       assert(*pointerToUpdate - buffer >= codePointCharSize);
       *pointerToUpdate = *pointerToUpdate - codePointCharSize;
     }