diff --git a/lisp/progmodes/perl-mode.el b/lisp/progmodes/perl-mode.el
index ff71970d41b..13d5d7f9451 100644
--- a/lisp/progmodes/perl-mode.el
+++ b/lisp/progmodes/perl-mode.el
@@ -1128,8 +1128,8 @@ perl-calculate-indent
             ;; Move back over whitespace before the openbrace.
             ;; If openbrace is not first nonwhite thing on the line,
             ;; add the perl-brace-imaginary-offset.
-            (progn (skip-chars-backward " \t")
-                   (if (bolp) 0 perl-brace-imaginary-offset))
+            (save-excursion (skip-chars-backward " \t")
+                            (if (bolp) 0 perl-brace-imaginary-offset))
             (perl-indent-new-calculate 'virtual))))))))
 
 (defun perl-backward-to-noncomment ()