diff --git a/src/test/resources/test_files/runtime/Updating/SimpleAppendErr1.jq b/src/test/resources/test_files/runtime/Updating/SimpleAppendErr1.jq
index 091bbd3ec..2b1956b8d 100644
--- a/src/test/resources/test_files/runtime/Updating/SimpleAppendErr1.jq
+++ b/src/test/resources/test_files/runtime/Updating/SimpleAppendErr1.jq
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 (:JIQS: ShouldCrash; ErrorCode="JNUP0008"; ErrorMetadata="LINE:3:COLUMN:7:" :)
-copy json $je := { "a" : 1, "b" : 2, "c" : 3 }
-modify append json 5 into false
+copy json $je := false
+modify append json 5 into $je
 return $je
 
 (: target expr does not evaluate to array :)
\ No newline at end of file