diff --git a/skimage/transform/_hough_transform.pyx b/skimage/transform/_hough_transform.pyx
index 83be34ad..35426cad 100644
--- a/skimage/transform/_hough_transform.pyx
+++ b/skimage/transform/_hough_transform.pyx
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ def _hough_circle(np.ndarray img, \
 
     # compute the nonzero indexes
     cdef np.ndarray[ndim=1, dtype=np.npy_intp] x, y
-    y, x = np.nonzero(img)
+    x, y = np.nonzero(img)
 
     # Offset the image
     cdef int max_radius = radius.max()
diff --git a/skimage/transform/tests/test_hough_transform.py b/skimage/transform/tests/test_hough_transform.py
index f829b1bb..00427332 100644
--- a/skimage/transform/tests/test_hough_transform.py
+++ b/skimage/transform/tests/test_hough_transform.py
@@ -111,15 +111,15 @@ def test_hough_peaks_num():
 
 def test_houghcircle():
     # Prepare picture
-    img = np.zeros((100, 100), dtype=int)
+    img = np.zeros((120, 100), dtype=int)
     radius = 20
-    x_0, y_0 = (50, 50)
+    x_0, y_0 = (99, 50)
     x, y = circle_perimeter(y_0, x_0, radius)
     img[y, x] = 1
 
     out = tf.hough_circle(img, np.array([radius]))
 
-    y, x = np.where(out[0] == out[0].max())
+    x, y = np.where(out[0] == out[0].max())
     # Offset for x_0, y_0
     assert_equal(x[0], x_0 + radius)
     assert_equal(y[0], y_0 + radius)