diff --git a/skimage/filter/rank/bilateral_rank.pyx b/skimage/filter/rank/bilateral_rank.pyx
index 39afa71a..73434bb5 100644
--- a/skimage/filter/rank/bilateral_rank.pyx
+++ b/skimage/filter/rank/bilateral_rank.pyx
@@ -41,10 +41,10 @@ def _apply(func8, func16, image, selem, out, mask, shift_x, shift_y, s0, s1):
     else:
         mask = np.ascontiguousarray(mask)
         mask = img_as_ubyte(mask)
+
     if image is out:
         raise NotImplementedError("Cannot perform rank operation in place.")
 
-    mask = np.ascontiguousarray(mask)
     if image.dtype == np.uint8:
         if func8 is None:
             raise TypeError("Not implemented for uint8 image.")
diff --git a/skimage/filter/rank/percentile_rank.pyx b/skimage/filter/rank/percentile_rank.pyx
index c5a5a594..5e506035 100644
--- a/skimage/filter/rank/percentile_rank.pyx
+++ b/skimage/filter/rank/percentile_rank.pyx
@@ -40,10 +40,10 @@ def _apply(func8, func16, image, selem, out, mask, shift_x, shift_y, p0, p1):
     else:
         mask = np.ascontiguousarray(mask)
         mask = img_as_ubyte(mask)
+
     if image is out:
         raise NotImplementedError("Cannot perform rank operation in place.")
 
-    mask = np.ascontiguousarray(mask)
     if image.dtype == np.uint8:
         if func8 is None:
             raise TypeError("Not implemented for uint8 image.")
diff --git a/skimage/filter/rank/rank.pyx b/skimage/filter/rank/rank.pyx
index 8ac98f81..74add3d7 100644
--- a/skimage/filter/rank/rank.pyx
+++ b/skimage/filter/rank/rank.pyx
@@ -33,10 +33,10 @@ def _apply(func8, func16, image, selem, out, mask, shift_x, shift_y):
     else:
         mask = np.ascontiguousarray(mask)
         mask = img_as_ubyte(mask)
+
     if image is out:
         raise NotImplementedError("Cannot perform rank operation in place.")
 
-    mask = np.ascontiguousarray(mask)
     if image.dtype == np.uint8:
         if func8 is None:
             raise TypeError("Not implemented for uint8 image.")