diff --git a/salt/manager/tools/sbin/soup b/salt/manager/tools/sbin/soup
index 6826bde2f..912d8ecdb 100755
--- a/salt/manager/tools/sbin/soup
+++ b/salt/manager/tools/sbin/soup
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ SOUP_LOG=/root/soup.log
 WHATWOULDYOUSAYYAHDOHERE=soup
 whiptail_title='Security Onion UPdater'
 NOTIFYCUSTOMELASTICCONFIG=false
+TOPFILE=/opt/so/saltstack/default/salt/top.sls
+BACKUPTOPFILE=/opt/so/saltstack/default/salt/top.sls.backup
 # used to display messages to the user at the end of soup
 declare -a FINAL_MESSAGE_QUEUE=()
 
@@ -344,8 +346,6 @@ highstate() {
 
 masterlock() {
   echo "Locking Salt Master"
-  TOPFILE=/opt/so/saltstack/default/salt/top.sls
-  BACKUPTOPFILE=/opt/so/saltstack/default/salt/top.sls.backup
   mv -v $TOPFILE $BACKUPTOPFILE
   echo "base:" > $TOPFILE
   echo "  $MINIONID:" >> $TOPFILE