diff --git a/core/collections/hashtables.factor b/core/collections/hashtables.factor
index 8b66652c9a..b0e5ef2f57 100644
--- a/core/collections/hashtables.factor
+++ b/core/collections/hashtables.factor
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ TUPLE: tombstone ;
     >r >r [ key@ ] 2keep pick -1 > r> r> if ; inline
 
 : <hash-array> ( n -- array )
-    1+ 4 * ((empty)) <array> ; inline
+    >fixnum 1+ 4 * ((empty)) <array> ; inline
 
 : init-hash ( hash -- )
     0 over set-hash-count 0 swap set-hash-deleted ;
diff --git a/core/test/collections/hashtables.factor b/core/test/collections/hashtables.factor
index 0a742e1df2..276bf876ae 100644
--- a/core/test/collections/hashtables.factor
+++ b/core/test/collections/hashtables.factor
@@ -202,3 +202,6 @@ H{ } clone "cache-test" set
 ! Resource leak...
 H{ } "x" set
 100 [ drop "x" get clear-hash ] each
+
+! Crash discovered by erg
+[ t ] [ 3/4 <hashtable> dup clone = ] unit-test