diff --git a/ports/raspberrypi/common-hal/rp2pio/StateMachine.c b/ports/raspberrypi/common-hal/rp2pio/StateMachine.c
index 4e2886eedf..716693228f 100644
--- a/ports/raspberrypi/common-hal/rp2pio/StateMachine.c
+++ b/ports/raspberrypi/common-hal/rp2pio/StateMachine.c
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ bool rp2pio_statemachine_construct(rp2pio_statemachine_obj_t *self,
     pio_program_t program_struct = {
         .instructions = (uint16_t *)program,
         .length = program_len,
-        .origin = 0
+        .origin = -1
     };
     for (size_t i = 0; i < NUM_PIOS; i++) {
         PIO pio = pio_instances[i];