diff --git a/basis/compiler/cfg/builder/builder.factor b/basis/compiler/cfg/builder/builder.factor
index b3a0287f3c..1bf5bab067 100755
--- a/basis/compiler/cfg/builder/builder.factor
+++ b/basis/compiler/cfg/builder/builder.factor
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ GENERIC: emit-node ( node -- next )
 : emit-call ( word height -- next )
     {
         { [ over loops get key? ] [ drop loops get at local-recursive-call ] }
+        { [ terminate-call? ] [ ##call stop-iterating ] }
         { [ tail-call? not ] [ ##call ##branch begin-basic-block iterate-next ] }
         { [ dup current-label get eq? ] [ 2drop first-basic-block get local-recursive-call ] }
         [ drop ##epilogue ##jump stop-iterating ]
@@ -102,6 +103,7 @@ GENERIC: emit-node ( node -- next )
 
 : emit-loop ( node -- next )
     ##loop-entry
+    ##branch
     begin-basic-block
     [ label>> id>> remember-loop ] [ child>> emit-nodes ] bi
     iterate-next ;
diff --git a/basis/compiler/cfg/iterator/iterator.factor b/basis/compiler/cfg/iterator/iterator.factor
index 3444b517ac..c12e5bdd86 100644
--- a/basis/compiler/cfg/iterator/iterator.factor
+++ b/basis/compiler/cfg/iterator/iterator.factor
@@ -37,9 +37,9 @@ DEFER: (tail-call?)
 : tail-call? ( -- ? )
     node-stack get [
         rest-slice
-        [ t ] [
-            [ (tail-call?) ]
-            [ first #terminate? not ]
-            bi and
-        ] if-empty
+        [ t ] [ (tail-call?) ] if-empty
     ] all? ;
+
+: terminate-call? ( -- ? )
+    node-stack get peek
+    rest-slice [ f ] [ first #terminate? ] if-empty ;