diff --git a/panda/src/pipeline/cycleDataLockedReader.I b/panda/src/pipeline/cycleDataLockedReader.I
index a622b9a2c0..882d8f600e 100644
--- a/panda/src/pipeline/cycleDataLockedReader.I
+++ b/panda/src/pipeline/cycleDataLockedReader.I
@@ -45,6 +45,19 @@ CycleDataLockedReader(const CycleDataLockedReader<CycleDataType> &copy) :
   _cycler->increment_read(_pointer);
 }
 
+/**
+ *
+ */
+template<class CycleDataType>
+INLINE CycleDataLockedReader<CycleDataType>::
+CycleDataLockedReader(CycleDataLockedReader<CycleDataType> &&from) noexcept :
+  _cycler(from._cycler),
+  _current_thread(from._current_thread),
+  _pointer(from._pointer)
+{
+  from._pointer = nullptr;
+}
+
 /**
  *
  */
@@ -61,19 +74,6 @@ operator = (const CycleDataLockedReader<CycleDataType> &copy) {
   _cycler->increment_read(_pointer);
 }
 
-/**
- *
- */
-template<class CycleDataType>
-INLINE CycleDataLockedReader<CycleDataType>::
-CycleDataLockedReader(CycleDataLockedReader<CycleDataType> &&from) noexcept :
-  _cycler(from._cycler),
-  _current_thread(from._current_thread),
-  _pointer(from._pointer)
-{
-  from._pointer = nullptr;
-}
-
 /**
  *
  */
@@ -177,6 +177,18 @@ operator = (const CycleDataLockedReader<CycleDataType> &copy) {
   _pointer = copy._pointer;
 }
 
+/**
+ *
+ */
+template<class CycleDataType>
+INLINE void CycleDataLockedReader<CycleDataType>::
+operator = (CycleDataLockedReader<CycleDataType> &&from) noexcept {
+  nassertv(_pointer == nullptr);
+
+  _pointer = from._pointer;
+  from._pointer = nullptr;
+}
+
 /**
  *
  */