diff --git a/test/test_basic_rng/test_r123.cc b/test/test_basic_rng/test_r123.cc
index 4ef6451..ad5eec8 100644
--- a/test/test_basic_rng/test_r123.cc
+++ b/test/test_basic_rng/test_r123.cc
@@ -678,9 +678,9 @@ class TestRNGState : public ::testing::Test {
 
     void test_uint_key_constructors() {
         using RNG = r123::Philox4x32;
+        ASSERT_EQ(RandBLAS::RNGState<RNG>::len_k, 2);
         // No-arugment constructor
         RandBLAS::RNGState<RNG> s;
-        ASSERT_EQ(s.len_k, 2);
         ASSERT_EQ(s.key[0], 0);
         ASSERT_EQ(s.key[1], 0);
         for (int i = 0; i < 4; ++i) {
@@ -688,7 +688,6 @@ class TestRNGState : public ::testing::Test {
         }
         // unsigned-int constructor
         RandBLAS::RNGState<RNG> t(42);
-        ASSERT_EQ(t.len_k, 2);
         ASSERT_EQ(t.key[0], 42);
         ASSERT_EQ(t.key[1], 0);
         for (int i = 0; i < 4; ++i) {