diff --git a/src/decoder/grammar-fst.cc b/src/decoder/grammar-fst.cc
index ab1a8142c1d..1b79e7b5521 100644
--- a/src/decoder/grammar-fst.cc
+++ b/src/decoder/grammar-fst.cc
@@ -706,7 +706,7 @@ bool GrammarFstPreparer::IsEntryState(StateId s) const {
     // we check that at least one has label with nonterminal equal to #nonterm_begin...
     // in fact they will all have this value if at least one does, and this was checked
     // in NeedEpsilons().
-    if (nonterminal == kNontermBegin)
+    if (nonterminal == GetPhoneSymbolFor(kNontermBegin))
       return true;
   }
   return false;