diff --git a/scp.c b/scp.c
index 4bf4f676..7fe0bbe1 100644
--- a/scp.c
+++ b/scp.c
@@ -12874,12 +12874,10 @@ if (sim_mfile || (f == sim_deb)) {
         break;
         }
 
-    /* Store the formatted data */
+    /* Store the formatted data with priority to a 
+       memory file vs debug de-duplication*/
 
-    if (f == sim_deb) {
-        _sim_debug_write (buf, len);
-        }
-    else {
+    if (sim_mfile) {
         if (sim_mfile->pos + len > sim_mfile->size) {
             sim_mfile->size = sim_mfile->pos + 2 * MAX(bufsize, 512);
             sim_mfile->buf = (char *)realloc (sim_mfile->buf, sim_mfile->size);
@@ -12887,6 +12885,9 @@ if (sim_mfile || (f == sim_deb)) {
         memcpy (sim_mfile->buf + sim_mfile->pos, buf, len);
         sim_mfile->pos += len;
         }
+    else {
+        _sim_debug_write (buf, len);
+        }
 
     if (buf != stackbuf)
         free (buf);