diff --git a/vm/bitwise_hacks.hpp b/vm/bitwise_hacks.hpp
index 0c04fa6e6e..2b5686023a 100644
--- a/vm/bitwise_hacks.hpp
+++ b/vm/bitwise_hacks.hpp
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ inline cell popcount(cell x) {
   x = x - ((x >> 1) & k1);         /* put count of each 2 bits into those 2 bits */
   x = (x & k2) + ((x >> 2) & k2);  /* put count of each 4 bits into those 4 bits */
   x = (x + (x >> 4)) & k4;         /* put count of each 8 bits into those 8 bits */
-  x = (x * kf) >> ks;  /* returns 8 most significant bits of x + (x<<8) +
+  x = (x * kf) >> ks;  /* returns 8 most significant bits of x + (x<<8) + */
                           (x<<16) + (x<<24) + ... */
 
   return x;