diff --git a/examples/c/decode/file/Makefile.am b/examples/c/decode/file/Makefile.am
index a7d692d6..5505020e 100644
--- a/examples/c/decode/file/Makefile.am
+++ b/examples/c/decode/file/Makefile.am
@@ -20,8 +20,6 @@ EXTRA_DIST = \
 	example_c_decode_file.dsp \
 	example_c_decode_file.vcproj \
 
-INCLUDES = -I$(top_srcdir)/src/libFLAC/include
-
 noinst_PROGRAMS = example_c_decode_file
 example_c_decode_file_LDADD = \
 	@OGG_LIBS@ \
diff --git a/examples/c/decode/file/Makefile.lite b/examples/c/decode/file/Makefile.lite
index 111b2629..e5070c12 100644
--- a/examples/c/decode/file/Makefile.lite
+++ b/examples/c/decode/file/Makefile.lite
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ libdir = $(topdir)/obj/$(BUILD)/lib
 
 PROGRAM_NAME = example_c_decode_file
 
-INCLUDES = -I../libFLAC/include -I$(topdir)/include
+INCLUDES = -I$(topdir)/include
 
 ifeq ($(DARWIN_BUILD),yes)
 EXPLICIT_LIBS = $(libdir)/libFLAC.a $(OGG_LIB_DIR)/libogg.a -lm
diff --git a/examples/c/decode/file/main.c b/examples/c/decode/file/main.c
index 6448ba5d..27eb799b 100644
--- a/examples/c/decode/file/main.c
+++ b/examples/c/decode/file/main.c
@@ -73,13 +73,14 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		return 1;
 	}
 
-	if((decoder = FLAC__stream_decoder_new()) == NULL) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: allocation decoder\n");
+	if((fout = fopen(argv[2], "wb")) == NULL) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: opening %s for output\n", argv[2]);
 		return 1;
 	}
 
-	if((fout = fopen(argv[2], "wb")) == NULL) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: opening %s for output\n", argv[2]);
+	if((decoder = FLAC__stream_decoder_new()) == NULL) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: allocating decoder\n");
+		fclose(fout);
 		return 1;
 	}