diff --git a/dlib/bigint/bigint_kernel_1.h b/dlib/bigint/bigint_kernel_1.h
index 3e7f3d851..32463c3b2 100644
--- a/dlib/bigint/bigint_kernel_1.h
+++ b/dlib/bigint/bigint_kernel_1.h
@@ -509,7 +509,6 @@ namespace dlib
     )
     { 
         std::ios::fmtflags oldflags = out.flags();  
-        out.flags(); 
         out << item << ' '; 
         out.flags(oldflags); 
         if (!out) throw serialization_error("Error serializing object of type bigint_kernel_c"); 
@@ -521,8 +520,8 @@ namespace dlib
     ) 
     { 
         std::ios::fmtflags oldflags = in.flags();  
-        in.flags(); 
-        in >> item; in.flags(oldflags); 
+        in >> item;
+        in.flags(oldflags); 
         if (in.get() != ' ')
         {
             item = 0;
diff --git a/dlib/bigint/bigint_kernel_2.h b/dlib/bigint/bigint_kernel_2.h
index cbd8f895d..4c771cf37 100644
--- a/dlib/bigint/bigint_kernel_2.h
+++ b/dlib/bigint/bigint_kernel_2.h
@@ -534,7 +534,6 @@ namespace dlib
     )
     { 
         std::ios::fmtflags oldflags = out.flags();  
-        out.flags(); 
         out << item << ' '; 
         out.flags(oldflags); 
         if (!out) throw serialization_error("Error serializing object of type bigint_kernel_c"); 
@@ -546,8 +545,8 @@ namespace dlib
     ) 
     { 
         std::ios::fmtflags oldflags = in.flags();  
-        in.flags(); 
-        in >> item; in.flags(oldflags); 
+        in >> item;
+        in.flags(oldflags); 
         if (in.get() != ' ')
         {
             item = 0;
diff --git a/dlib/bigint/bigint_kernel_c.h b/dlib/bigint/bigint_kernel_c.h
index 954869a38..47089730a 100644
--- a/dlib/bigint/bigint_kernel_c.h
+++ b/dlib/bigint/bigint_kernel_c.h
@@ -253,7 +253,6 @@ namespace dlib
     )
     { 
         std::ios::fmtflags oldflags = out.flags();  
-        out.flags(); 
         out << item << ' '; 
         out.flags(oldflags); 
         if (!out) throw serialization_error("Error serializing object of type bigint_kernel_c"); 
@@ -268,8 +267,8 @@ namespace dlib
     ) 
     { 
         std::ios::fmtflags oldflags = in.flags();  
-        in.flags(); 
-        in >> item; in.flags(oldflags); 
+        in >> item;
+        in.flags(oldflags); 
         if (in.get() != ' ') 
         {
             item = 0;