diff --git a/src/java_bytecode/java_bytecode_typecheck_expr.cpp b/src/java_bytecode/java_bytecode_typecheck_expr.cpp
index 941871d5cd3..ae99c4cd974 100644
--- a/src/java_bytecode/java_bytecode_typecheck_expr.cpp
+++ b/src/java_bytecode/java_bytecode_typecheck_expr.cpp
@@ -128,8 +128,8 @@ void java_bytecode_typecheckt::typecheck_expr_java_string_literal(exprt &expr)
   escape_non_alnum(escaped);
   identifier_str << "java::java.lang.String.Literal." << escaped;
   // Avoid naming clashes by virtue of escaping:
-  size_t unique_num=escaped_string_literal_count[identifier_str.str()];
-  unique_num++;
+  // NOTE this increments the count stored in the map.
+  size_t unique_num=++(escaped_string_literal_count[identifier_str.str()]);
   if(unique_num!=1)
     identifier_str << unique_num;