diff --git a/base/runtime/core_builtin_soa.odin b/base/runtime/core_builtin_soa.odin
index 48c48f305..390497ec7 100644
--- a/base/runtime/core_builtin_soa.odin
+++ b/base/runtime/core_builtin_soa.odin
@@ -480,10 +480,14 @@ _append_soa_elems :: proc(#no_alias array: ^$T/#soa[dynamic]$E, zero_memory: boo
 
 	footer := raw_soa_footer(array)
 	if size_of(E) > 0 && arg_len > 0 {
-		offset := footer.len
 		FIELD_COUNT :: len(E) when intrinsics.type_is_array(E) else intrinsics.type_struct_field_count(E)
 		// Advance len before the copy, soa_copy_from_slice needs the final len to be set
+		when FIELD_COUNT != 0 {
+			offset := footer.len
+		}
+
 		footer.len += arg_len
+
 		when FIELD_COUNT == 0 {
 			// do nothing
 		} else when FIELD_COUNT <= 16 && ODIN_OPTIMIZATION_MODE <= .Size {