diff --git a/src/TextClass.cpp b/src/TextClass.cpp
index 69435625de..0a903cb8e0 100644
--- a/src/TextClass.cpp
+++ b/src/TextClass.cpp
@@ -408,11 +408,14 @@ TextClass::ReturnValues TextClass::read(Lexer & lexrc, ReadType rt)
 	if (!lexrc.isOK())
 		return ERROR;
 
-	// Format of files before the 'Format' tag was introduced
-	int format = 1;
-	bool error = false;
+	// The first usable line should be
+	// Format LAYOUT_FORMAT
+	if (lexrc.lex() != TC_FORMAT || !lexrc.next()
+	    || lexrc.getInteger() != LAYOUT_FORMAT)
+		return FORMAT_MISMATCH;
 
 	// parsing
+	bool error = false;
 	while (lexrc.isOK() && !error) {
 		int le = lexrc.lex();
 
@@ -437,8 +440,8 @@ TextClass::ReturnValues TextClass::read(Lexer & lexrc, ReadType rt)
 		switch (static_cast<TextClassTags>(le)) {
 
 		case TC_FORMAT:
-			if (lexrc.next())
-				format = lexrc.getInteger();
+			lexrc.next();
+			lexrc.printError("Duplicate Format directive");
 			break;
 
 		case TC_OUTPUTFORMAT:
@@ -853,11 +856,6 @@ TextClass::ReturnValues TextClass::read(Lexer & lexrc, ReadType rt)
 			error = !readOutlinerName(lexrc);
 			break;
 		} // end of switch
-
-		// Note that this is triggered the first time through the loop unless
-		// we hit a format tag.
-		if (format != LAYOUT_FORMAT)
-			return FORMAT_MISMATCH;
 	}
 
 	// at present, we abort if we encounter an error,