diff --git a/lib/Biodiverse/Indices/Phylogenetic.pm b/lib/Biodiverse/Indices/Phylogenetic.pm
index b822b06a0..032d66d22 100644
--- a/lib/Biodiverse/Indices/Phylogenetic.pm
+++ b/lib/Biodiverse/Indices/Phylogenetic.pm
@@ -634,32 +634,33 @@ sub calc_pe_central_lists {
     my $c_list  =   $args{PHYLO_C_LIST};  #  those only in nbr set 2
     my $a_list  =   $args{PHYLO_A_LIST};
     my $b_list  =   $args{PHYLO_B_LIST};
-    my (%wt_list, %local_range_list_c, %global_range_list_c);
 
     my $local_range_list  = $args{PE_LOCAL_RANGELIST};
     my $global_range_list = $args{PE_RANGELIST};
 
+    my %results;
+
     #  avoid copies and slices if there are no nodes found only in nbr set 2
     if (scalar keys %$c_list) {
+        my (%wt_list, %local_range_list_c, %global_range_list_c);
         #  Keep any node found in nbr set 1
-        @wt_list{keys %$b_list} = @{$base_wt_list}{keys %$b_list};
         @wt_list{keys %$a_list} = @{$base_wt_list}{keys %$a_list};
-
+        @wt_list{keys %$b_list} = @{$base_wt_list}{keys %$b_list};
+        
         my @keepers = keys %wt_list;
         @local_range_list_c{@keepers}  = @{$local_range_list}{@keepers};
         @global_range_list_c{@keepers} = @{$global_range_list}{@keepers};
+
+        $results{PEC_WTLIST} = \%wt_list;
+        $results{PEC_LOCAL_RANGELIST} = \%local_range_list_c;
+        $results{PEC_RANGELIST}       = \%global_range_list_c;
     }
     else {
-        %wt_list = %$base_wt_list;
-        %local_range_list_c  = %$local_range_list;
-        %global_range_list_c = %$global_range_list;
+        $results{PEC_WTLIST} = $base_wt_list;
+        $results{PEC_LOCAL_RANGELIST} = $local_range_list;
+        $results{PEC_RANGELIST}       = $global_range_list;
     }
 
-    my %results = (
-        PEC_WTLIST => \%wt_list,
-        PEC_LOCAL_RANGELIST  => \%local_range_list_c,
-        PEC_RANGELIST        => \%global_range_list_c,
-    );
 
     return wantarray ? %results : \%results;
 }