--- a/liboctave/LSODE.cc
+++ b/liboctave/LSODE.cc
@@ -277,26 +277,29 @@
     {
       switch (istate)
 	{
-	case -13: // return requested in user-supplied function.
-	case -6:  // error weight became zero during problem. (solution
-	          // component i vanished, and atol or atol(i) = 0.)
-	case -5:  // repeated convergence failures (perhaps bad jacobian
-	          // supplied or wrong choice of mf or tolerances).
-	case -4:  // repeated error test failures (check all inputs).
-	case -3:  // illegal input detected (see printed message).
-	case -2:  // excess accuracy requested (tolerances too small).
-	case -1:  // excess work done on this call (perhaps wrong mf).
-	  integration_error = true;
-	  break;
-
-	case 2:  // lsode was successful
+	case 1:  // prior to initial integration step.
+	case 2:  // lsode was successful.
 	  retval = x;
 	  t = tout;
 	  break;
 	  
-	default: // Error?
+	case -1:  // excess work done on this call (perhaps wrong mf).
+	case -2:  // excess accuracy requested (tolerances too small).
+	case -3:  // illegal input detected (see printed message).
+	case -4:  // repeated error test failures (check all inputs).
+	case -5:  // repeated convergence failures (perhaps bad jacobian
+	          // supplied or wrong choice of mf or tolerances).
+	case -6:  // error weight became zero during problem. (solution
+	          // component i vanished, and atol or atol(i) = 0.)
+	case -13: // return requested in user-supplied function.
+	  integration_error = true;
+	  break;
+
+	default:
+	  integration_error = true;
 	  (*current_liboctave_error_handler)
-	    ("unrecognized value of istate returned from lsode");
+	    ("unrecognized value of istate (= %d) returned from lsode",
+	     istate);
 	  break;
 	}
     }
@@ -311,38 +314,8 @@
 
   switch (istate)
     {
-    case -13:
-      retval = "return requested in user-supplied function";
-      break;
-
-    case -6:
-      retval = "Error weight became zero during problem.\
-  (solution component i vanished, and atol or atol(i) == 0)";
-      break;
-
-    case -5:
-      retval = "repeated convergence failures (perhaps bad jacobian\
- supplied or wrong choice of integration method or tolerances)";
-      break;
-
-    case -4:
-      retval = "repeated error test failures (check all inputs)";
-      break;
-
-    case -3:
-      retval = "invalid input detected (see printed message)";
-      break;
-
-    case -2:
-      retval = "excess accuracy requested (tolerances too small)";
-      break;
-
-    case -1:
-      retval = "excess work on this call (perhaps wrong integration method)";
-      break;
-
     case 1:
-      retval = "prior to initial call";
+      retval = "prior to initial integration step";
       break;
 
     case 2:
@@ -353,6 +326,36 @@
       retval = "prior to continuation call with modified parameters";
       break;
 	  
+    case -1:
+      retval = "excess work on this call (perhaps wrong integration method)";
+      break;
+
+    case -2:
+      retval = "excess accuracy requested (tolerances too small)";
+      break;
+
+    case -3:
+      retval = "invalid input detected (see printed message)";
+      break;
+
+    case -4:
+      retval = "repeated error test failures (check all inputs)";
+      break;
+
+    case -5:
+      retval = "repeated convergence failures (perhaps bad jacobian\
+ supplied or wrong choice of integration method or tolerances)";
+      break;
+
+    case -6:
+      retval = "error weight became zero during problem.\
+  (solution component i vanished, and atol or atol(i) == 0)";
+      break;
+
+    case -13:
+      retval = "return requested in user-supplied function";
+      break;
+
     default:
       retval = "unknown error state";
       break;