diff --git a/src/input_xml.F90 b/src/input_xml.F90
index e6355af801..aae806b7b6 100644
--- a/src/input_xml.F90
+++ b/src/input_xml.F90
@@ -2168,22 +2168,15 @@ contains
       ! Get pointer to tally xml node
       node_tal = node_tal_list(i)
 
-      ! Copy tally id
+      ! Copy and set tally id
       if (check_for_node(node_tal, "id")) then
         call get_node_value(node_tal, "id", tally_id)
+        err = openmc_tally_set_id(i_start + i - 1, tally_id)
+        if (err /= 0) call fatal_error(to_f_string(openmc_err_msg))
       else
         call fatal_error("Must specify id for tally in tally XML file.")
       end if
 
-      ! Check to make sure 'id' hasn't been used
-      if (tally_dict % has(t % id)) then
-        call fatal_error("Two or more tallies use the same unique ID: " &
-             // to_str(tally_id))
-      end if
-
-      ! Set tally id
-      err = openmc_tally_set_id(i_start + i - 1, tally_id)
-
       ! Copy tally name
       if (check_for_node(node_tal, "name")) &
            call get_node_value(node_tal, "name", t % name)
diff --git a/src/tallies/tally_header.F90 b/src/tallies/tally_header.F90
index 9e1c56944c..32f094f89e 100644
--- a/src/tallies/tally_header.F90
+++ b/src/tallies/tally_header.F90
@@ -777,11 +777,17 @@ contains
 
     if (index >= 1 .and. index <= n_tallies) then
       if (allocated(tallies(index) % obj)) then
-        tallies(index) % obj % id = id
-        call tally_dict % set(id, index)
-        if (id > largest_tally_id) largest_tally_id = id
+        if (tally_dict % has(id)) then
+          call set_errmsg("Two or more tallies use the same unique ID: " &
+               // to_str(id))
+          err = E_INVALID_ID
+        else
+          tallies(index) % obj % id = id
+          call tally_dict % set(id, index)
+          if (id > largest_tally_id) largest_tally_id = id
 
-        err = 0
+          err = 0
+        end if
       else
         err = E_ALLOCATE
         call set_errmsg("Tally type has not been set yet.")