This disclosure relates to avoiding a hard error in memory during write time by shifting data to be programmed to memory to mask the hard error. In one implementation, a method of programming data to a memory array includes obtaining error data corresponding to a selected memory cell, shifting a data pattern such that a value to be stored by the selected memory cell matches a value associated with a hard error, and programming the shifted data pattern to memory array such that the value programmed to the selected memory cell matches the value associated with the hard error.