diff --git a/pkgs/racket-test-core/tests/racket/optimize.rktl b/pkgs/racket-test-core/tests/racket/optimize.rktl
index 871cd3eb7e..0862e3d3f5 100644
--- a/pkgs/racket-test-core/tests/racket/optimize.rktl
+++ b/pkgs/racket-test-core/tests/racket/optimize.rktl
@@ -4525,6 +4525,17 @@
        (f i #f))))
 (collect-garbage)
 
+;; ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
+;; Check that `#%variable-reference` inlines ok:
+
+(let ([go
+       (lambda ()
+         (define foo 3)
+         (#%variable-reference foo))])
+  (define v (list (go) (go)))
+  (set! v v)
+  (test '(#t #t) map variable-reference? v))
+
 ;; ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
 
 (report-errs)
diff --git a/racket/src/racket/src/optimize.c b/racket/src/racket/src/optimize.c
index b7557cab78..7289a04cb2 100644
--- a/racket/src/racket/src/optimize.c
+++ b/racket/src/racket/src/optimize.c
@@ -4343,7 +4343,7 @@ ref_clone(int dup_ok, Scheme_Object *data, Optimize_Info *info, int delta, int c
   if (!a) return NULL;
 
   b = SCHEME_PTR2_VAL(data);
-  b = optimize_clone(dup_ok, a, info, delta, closure_depth);
+  b = optimize_clone(dup_ok, b, info, delta, closure_depth);
   if (!b) return NULL;
 
   naya = scheme_alloc_object();