diff --git a/align.c b/align.c
index 724debe..21808b9 100644
--- a/align.c
+++ b/align.c
@@ -147,78 +147,6 @@ static void mm_fix_cigar(mm_reg1_t *r, const uint8_t *qseq, const uint8_t *tseq,
 	}
 }
 
-static void mm_update_extra(mm_reg1_t *r, const uint8_t *qseq, const uint8_t *tseq, const int8_t *mat, int8_t q, int8_t e)
-{
-	uint32_t k, l;
-	int32_t s = 0, max = 0, qshift, tshift, toff = 0, qoff = 0;
-	mm_extra_t *p = r->p;
-	if (p == 0) return;
-	mm_fix_cigar(r, qseq, tseq, &qshift, &tshift);
-	qseq += qshift, tseq += tshift; // qseq and tseq may be shifted due to the removal of leading I/D
-	r->blen = r->mlen = 0;
-	for (k = 0; k < p->n_cigar; ++k) {
-		uint32_t op = p->cigar[k]&0xf, len = p->cigar[k]>>4;
-		if (op == 0) { // match/mismatch
-			int n_ambi = 0, n_diff = 0;
-			for (l = 0; l < len; ++l) {
-				int cq = qseq[qoff + l], ct = tseq[toff + l];
-				if (ct > 3 || cq > 3) ++n_ambi;
-				else if (ct != cq) ++n_diff;
-				s += mat[ct * 5 + cq];
-				if (s < 0) s = 0;
-				else max = max > s? max : s;
-			}
-			r->blen += len - n_ambi, r->mlen += len - (n_ambi + n_diff), p->n_ambi += n_ambi;
-			toff += len, qoff += len;
-		} else if (op == 1) { // insertion
-			int n_ambi = 0;
-			for (l = 0; l < len; ++l)
-				if (qseq[qoff + l] > 3) ++n_ambi;
-			r->blen += len - n_ambi, p->n_ambi += n_ambi;
-			s -= q + e * len;
-			if (s < 0) s = 0;
-			qoff += len;
-		} else if (op == 2) { // deletion
-			int n_ambi = 0;
-			for (l = 0; l < len; ++l)
-				if (tseq[toff + l] > 3) ++n_ambi;
-			r->blen += len - n_ambi, p->n_ambi += n_ambi;
-			s -= q + e * len;
-			if (s < 0) s = 0;
-			toff += len;
-		} else if (op == 3) { // intron
-			toff += len;
-		}
-	}
-	p->dp_max = max;
-	assert(qoff == r->qe - r->qs && toff == r->re - r->rs);
-}
-
-static void mm_append_cigar(mm_reg1_t *r, uint32_t n_cigar, uint32_t *cigar) // TODO: this calls the libc realloc()
-{
-	mm_extra_t *p;
-	if (n_cigar == 0) return;
-	if (r->p == 0) {
-		uint32_t capacity = n_cigar + sizeof(mm_extra_t)/4;
-		kroundup32(capacity);
-		r->p = (mm_extra_t*)calloc(capacity, 4);
-		r->p->capacity = capacity;
-	} else if (r->p->n_cigar + n_cigar + sizeof(mm_extra_t)/4 > r->p->capacity) {
-		r->p->capacity = r->p->n_cigar + n_cigar + sizeof(mm_extra_t)/4;
-		kroundup32(r->p->capacity);
-		r->p = (mm_extra_t*)realloc(r->p, r->p->capacity * 4);
-	}
-	p = r->p;
-	if (p->n_cigar > 0 && (p->cigar[p->n_cigar-1]&0xf) == (cigar[0]&0xf)) { // same CIGAR op at the boundary
-		p->cigar[p->n_cigar-1] += cigar[0]>>4<<4;
-		if (n_cigar > 1) memcpy(p->cigar + p->n_cigar, cigar + 1, (n_cigar - 1) * 4);
-		p->n_cigar += n_cigar - 1;
-	} else {
-		memcpy(p->cigar + p->n_cigar, cigar, n_cigar * 4);
-		p->n_cigar += n_cigar;
-	}
-}
-
 static void mm_update_cigar_eqx(mm_reg1_t *r, const uint8_t *qseq, const uint8_t *tseq) // written by @armintoepfer
 {
 	uint32_t n_EQX = 0;
@@ -290,6 +218,79 @@ static void mm_update_cigar_eqx(mm_reg1_t *r, const uint8_t *qseq, const uint8_t
 	r->p = p;
 }
 
+static void mm_update_extra(mm_reg1_t *r, const uint8_t *qseq, const uint8_t *tseq, const int8_t *mat, int8_t q, int8_t e, int is_eqx)
+{
+	uint32_t k, l;
+	int32_t s = 0, max = 0, qshift, tshift, toff = 0, qoff = 0;
+	mm_extra_t *p = r->p;
+	if (p == 0) return;
+	mm_fix_cigar(r, qseq, tseq, &qshift, &tshift);
+	qseq += qshift, tseq += tshift; // qseq and tseq may be shifted due to the removal of leading I/D
+	r->blen = r->mlen = 0;
+	for (k = 0; k < p->n_cigar; ++k) {
+		uint32_t op = p->cigar[k]&0xf, len = p->cigar[k]>>4;
+		if (op == 0) { // match/mismatch
+			int n_ambi = 0, n_diff = 0;
+			for (l = 0; l < len; ++l) {
+				int cq = qseq[qoff + l], ct = tseq[toff + l];
+				if (ct > 3 || cq > 3) ++n_ambi;
+				else if (ct != cq) ++n_diff;
+				s += mat[ct * 5 + cq];
+				if (s < 0) s = 0;
+				else max = max > s? max : s;
+			}
+			r->blen += len - n_ambi, r->mlen += len - (n_ambi + n_diff), p->n_ambi += n_ambi;
+			toff += len, qoff += len;
+		} else if (op == 1) { // insertion
+			int n_ambi = 0;
+			for (l = 0; l < len; ++l)
+				if (qseq[qoff + l] > 3) ++n_ambi;
+			r->blen += len - n_ambi, p->n_ambi += n_ambi;
+			s -= q + e * len;
+			if (s < 0) s = 0;
+			qoff += len;
+		} else if (op == 2) { // deletion
+			int n_ambi = 0;
+			for (l = 0; l < len; ++l)
+				if (tseq[toff + l] > 3) ++n_ambi;
+			r->blen += len - n_ambi, p->n_ambi += n_ambi;
+			s -= q + e * len;
+			if (s < 0) s = 0;
+			toff += len;
+		} else if (op == 3) { // intron
+			toff += len;
+		}
+	}
+	p->dp_max = max;
+	assert(qoff == r->qe - r->qs && toff == r->re - r->rs);
+	if (is_eqx) mm_update_cigar_eqx(r, qseq, tseq); // NB: it has to be called here as changes to qseq and tseq are not returned
+}
+
+static void mm_append_cigar(mm_reg1_t *r, uint32_t n_cigar, uint32_t *cigar) // TODO: this calls the libc realloc()
+{
+	mm_extra_t *p;
+	if (n_cigar == 0) return;
+	if (r->p == 0) {
+		uint32_t capacity = n_cigar + sizeof(mm_extra_t)/4;
+		kroundup32(capacity);
+		r->p = (mm_extra_t*)calloc(capacity, 4);
+		r->p->capacity = capacity;
+	} else if (r->p->n_cigar + n_cigar + sizeof(mm_extra_t)/4 > r->p->capacity) {
+		r->p->capacity = r->p->n_cigar + n_cigar + sizeof(mm_extra_t)/4;
+		kroundup32(r->p->capacity);
+		r->p = (mm_extra_t*)realloc(r->p, r->p->capacity * 4);
+	}
+	p = r->p;
+	if (p->n_cigar > 0 && (p->cigar[p->n_cigar-1]&0xf) == (cigar[0]&0xf)) { // same CIGAR op at the boundary
+		p->cigar[p->n_cigar-1] += cigar[0]>>4<<4;
+		if (n_cigar > 1) memcpy(p->cigar + p->n_cigar, cigar + 1, (n_cigar - 1) * 4);
+		p->n_cigar += n_cigar - 1;
+	} else {
+		memcpy(p->cigar + p->n_cigar, cigar, n_cigar * 4);
+		p->n_cigar += n_cigar;
+	}
+}
+
 static void mm_align_pair(void *km, const mm_mapopt_t *opt, int qlen, const uint8_t *qseq, int tlen, const uint8_t *tseq, const int8_t *mat, int w, int end_bonus, int zdrop, int flag, ksw_extz_t *ez)
 {
 	if (mm_dbg_flag & MM_DBG_PRINT_ALN_SEQ) {
@@ -751,8 +752,7 @@ static void mm_align1(void *km, const mm_mapopt_t *opt, const mm_idx_t *mi, int
 	assert(re1 - rs1 <= re0 - rs0);
 	if (r->p) {
 		mm_idx_getseq(mi, rid, rs1, re1, tseq);
-		mm_update_extra(r, &qseq0[r->rev][qs1], tseq, mat, opt->q, opt->e);
-		if (opt->flag & MM_F_EQX) mm_update_cigar_eqx(r, &qseq0[r->rev][qs1], tseq);
+		mm_update_extra(r, &qseq0[r->rev][qs1], tseq, mat, opt->q, opt->e, opt->flag & MM_F_EQX);
 		if (rev && r->p->trans_strand)
 			r->p->trans_strand ^= 3; // flip to the read strand
 	}
@@ -810,8 +810,7 @@ static int mm_align1_inv(void *km, const mm_mapopt_t *opt, const mm_idx_t *mi, i
 	}
 	r_inv->rs = r1->re + t_off;
 	r_inv->re = r_inv->rs + ez->max_t + 1;
-	mm_update_extra(r_inv, &qseq[q_off], &tseq[t_off], mat, opt->q, opt->e);
-	if (opt->flag & MM_F_EQX) mm_update_cigar_eqx(r_inv, &qseq[q_off], &tseq[t_off]);
+	mm_update_extra(r_inv, &qseq[q_off], &tseq[t_off], mat, opt->q, opt->e, opt->flag & MM_F_EQX);
 	ret = 1;
 end_align1_inv:
 	kfree(km, tseq);
diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index 763ed9e..894e503 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 #include "mmpriv.h"
 #include "ketopt.h"
 
-#define MM_VERSION "2.14-r886-dirty"
+#define MM_VERSION "2.14-r888-dirty"
 
 #ifdef __linux__
 #include <sys/resource.h>