diff --git a/core/hashtables/hashtables.factor b/core/hashtables/hashtables.factor
index 7d0f4b85ff..d51ed90300 100644
--- a/core/hashtables/hashtables.factor
+++ b/core/hashtables/hashtables.factor
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ M: hashtable set-at ( value key hash -- )
     dup ?grow-hash dupd new-key@ set-nth-pair ;
 
 : associate ( value key -- hash )
-    2 <hashtable> [ set-at ] keep ;
+    H{ } clone [ set-at ] keep ; inline
 
 <PRIVATE