diff --git a/merger/MergeMasked.py b/merger/MergeMasked.py
index bcdcf8d..1100ab2 100644
--- a/merger/MergeMasked.py
+++ b/merger/MergeMasked.py
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@ def MergeMaskedFace (predictor_func, predictor_input_shape,
 
     wrk_face_mask_a = wrk_face_mask_a_0[...,None]
 
+    out_img = None
     out_merging_mask_a = None
     if cfg.mode == 'original':
         return img_bgr, img_face_mask_a
@@ -307,11 +308,11 @@ def MergeMaskedFace (predictor_func, predictor_input_shape,
                     else:
                         alpha = cfg.color_degrade_power / 100.0
                         out_img = (out_img*(1.0-alpha) + out_img_reduced*alpha)
-        else:
-            out_img = img_bgr.copy()
-
         out_merging_mask_a = img_face_mask_a
 
+    if out_img is None:
+        out_img = img_bgr.copy()
+        
     return out_img, out_merging_mask_a