diff --git a/src/gen-arabic-table.py b/src/gen-arabic-table.py
index a5ec15a0b..c48470810 100755
--- a/src/gen-arabic-table.py
+++ b/src/gen-arabic-table.py
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ def print_joining_table(f):
 	num = len(values)
 	all_blocks = set([blocks[u] for u in uu])
 
-	last = -1
+	last = -100000
 	ranges = []
 	for u in uu:
 		if u - last <= 1+16*5:
diff --git a/src/gen-indic-table.py b/src/gen-indic-table.py
index eea345f0e..2c87ccf77 100755
--- a/src/gen-indic-table.py
+++ b/src/gen-indic-table.py
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ def print_block (block, start, end, data):
 uu = data.keys ()
 uu.sort ()
 
-last = -1
+last = -100000
 num = 0
 offset = 0
 starts = []