diff --git a/src/accessor/grib_accessor_class_to_double.cc b/src/accessor/grib_accessor_class_to_double.cc
index a0e8675fc..d794e4086 100644
--- a/src/accessor/grib_accessor_class_to_double.cc
+++ b/src/accessor/grib_accessor_class_to_double.cc
@@ -16,11 +16,12 @@ grib_accessor* grib_accessor_to_double = &_grib_accessor_to_double;
 void grib_accessor_to_double_t::init(const long len, grib_arguments* arg)
 {
     grib_accessor_gen_t::init(len, arg);
+    grib_handle* hand = grib_handle_of_accessor(this);
 
-    key_    = grib_arguments_get_name(grib_handle_of_accessor(this), arg, 0);
-    start_  = grib_arguments_get_long(grib_handle_of_accessor(this), arg, 1);
-    length_ = grib_arguments_get_long(grib_handle_of_accessor(this), arg, 2);
-    scale_  = grib_arguments_get_long(grib_handle_of_accessor(this), arg, 3);
+    key_        = grib_arguments_get_name(hand, arg, 0);
+    start_      = grib_arguments_get_long(hand, arg, 1);
+    str_length_ = grib_arguments_get_long(hand, arg, 2);
+    scale_      = grib_arguments_get_long(hand, arg, 3);
     if (!scale_)
         scale_ = 1;
 
@@ -42,8 +43,8 @@ size_t grib_accessor_to_double_t::string_length()
 {
     size_t size = 0;
 
-    if (length_)
-        return length_;
+    if (str_length_)
+        return str_length_;
 
     grib_get_string_length_acc(this, &size);
     return size;
@@ -62,15 +63,13 @@ long grib_accessor_to_double_t::get_native_type()
 int grib_accessor_to_double_t::unpack_string(char* val, size_t* len)
 {
     int err        = 0;
-    char buff[512] = {
-        0,
-    };
+    char buff[512] = {0,};
     size_t size   = 512;
     size_t length = string_length();
 
     if (*len < length + 1) {
         grib_context_log(context_, GRIB_LOG_ERROR, "unpack_string: Wrong size (%lu) for %s, it contains %ld values",
-                         *len, name_, grib_accessor::length_ + 1);
+                         *len, name_, length + 1);
         *len = length + 1;
         return GRIB_ARRAY_TOO_SMALL;
     }
diff --git a/src/accessor/grib_accessor_class_to_double.h b/src/accessor/grib_accessor_class_to_double.h
index 546aa53c7..02fd4f6a6 100644
--- a/src/accessor/grib_accessor_class_to_double.h
+++ b/src/accessor/grib_accessor_class_to_double.h
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ public:
 protected:
     const char* key_;
     long start_;
-    size_t length_;
+    size_t str_length_;
 
 private:
     long scale_;
diff --git a/tests/codes_to_double.sh b/tests/codes_to_double.sh
index ceb7c21c5..8914d8049 100755
--- a/tests/codes_to_double.sh
+++ b/tests/codes_to_double.sh
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ sample_grib2=$ECCODES_SAMPLES_PATH/GRIB2.tmpl
 
 cat >$tempFilt<<EOF
  transient aa = 156;
- meta aad to_double(aa,0,3,0);
+ meta aad to_double(aa,0,2,0); # substr "15"
  print "aa=[aad]";
 
  transient xx = "45.5e3";
@@ -27,15 +27,20 @@ cat >$tempFilt<<EOF
  print "xx=[xxd:d]";
 
  transient yy = "45.9";
- meta yyd to_double(yy,0,2,0);
+ meta yyd to_double(yy,0,2,0); # substr "45"
  print "yy=[yyd:s]";
+
+ transient zz = "145.02";
+ meta zzd to_double(zz,1,4,0); # substr "45.0"
+ print "zz=[zzd:s]";
 EOF
 ${tools_dir}/grib_filter $tempFilt $sample_grib2 > $tempLog
 
 cat >$tempRef<<EOF
-aa=156
+aa=15
 xx=45500
 yy=45
+zz=45.0
 EOF
 diff $tempRef $tempLog