diff --git a/panda/src/pnmimage/pnmImage.cxx b/panda/src/pnmimage/pnmImage.cxx
index 8eafe3a7ca..f000ccfb00 100644
--- a/panda/src/pnmimage/pnmImage.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/pnmimage/pnmImage.cxx
@@ -195,7 +195,6 @@ read(PNMReader *reader) {
   }
 
   copy_header_from(*reader);
-  _type = reader->get_type();
 
   // We reassign y_size after reading because we might have read a
   // truncated file.
diff --git a/panda/src/pnmimage/pnmImageHeader.cxx b/panda/src/pnmimage/pnmImageHeader.cxx
index fd165ac28b..470a0a77f4 100644
--- a/panda/src/pnmimage/pnmImageHeader.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/pnmimage/pnmImageHeader.cxx
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ read_header(const Filename &filename, PNMFileType *type) {
   PNMReader *reader = make_reader(filename, type);
   if (reader != (PNMReader *)NULL) {
     (*this) = (*reader);
-    _type = reader->get_type();
     delete reader;
     return true;
   }