diff --git a/testssl.sh b/testssl.sh
index cea2094..a14389a 100755
--- a/testssl.sh
+++ b/testssl.sh
@@ -10617,7 +10617,7 @@ starttls_full_read(){
      else
           if [[ $ret -ge 128 ]]; then
                debugme echo "=== timeout reading ==="
-               $ret_found=$ret
+               ret_found=$ret
           fi
      fi
      IFS="${oldIFS}"