diff --git a/c/vfasl.c b/c/vfasl.c
index a873eff68c..f2c6f27cd9 100644
--- a/c/vfasl.c
+++ b/c/vfasl.c
@@ -167,6 +167,7 @@ static ptr copy(vfasl_info *vfi, ptr pp, seginfo *si);
 static uptr sweep(vfasl_info *vfi, ptr p);
 static int is_rtd(ptr tf, vfasl_info *vfi);
 
+static IFASLCODE abs_reloc_variant(IFASLCODE type);
 static ptr vfasl_encode_relocation(vfasl_info *vfi, ptr obj);
 static void relink_code(ptr co, ptr sym_base, ptr *vspaces, uptr *vspace_offsets, IBOOL to_static);
 static ptr find_pointer_from_offset(uptr p_off, ptr *vspaces, uptr *vspace_offsets);
@@ -1083,6 +1084,20 @@ static int is_rtd(ptr tf, vfasl_info *vfi)
 #define VFASL_RELOC_TAG(p) (UNFIX(p) & ((1 << VFASL_RELOC_TAG_BITS) - 1))
 #define VFASL_RELOC_POS(p) (UNFIX(p) >> VFASL_RELOC_TAG_BITS)
 
+/* Picks a relocation variant that fits into the actual relocation's
+   shape, but holds an absolue value */
+static IFASLCODE abs_reloc_variant(IFASLCODE type) {
+  if (type == reloc_abs)
+    return reloc_abs;
+#if defined(I386) || defined(X86_64)
+  return reloc_abs;
+#elif defined(ARMV6)
+  return reloc_arm32_abs;
+#else
+  >> need to fill in for this platform <<
+#endif
+}
+
 static ptr vfasl_encode_relocation(vfasl_info *vfi, ptr obj) {
   ptr pos;
   int which_singleton;
@@ -1142,7 +1157,7 @@ static void relink_code(ptr co, ptr sym_base, ptr *vspaces, uptr *vspace_offsets
             code_off = RELOC_CODE_OFFSET(entry);
         }
         a += code_off;
-        obj = S_get_code_obj(reloc_abs, co, a, item_off);
+        obj = S_get_code_obj(abs_reloc_variant(RELOC_TYPE(entry)), co, a, item_off);
 
         if (IMMEDIATE(obj)) {
           if (Sfixnump(obj)) {
diff --git a/s/mkgc.ss b/s/mkgc.ss
index da253d9981..a30a2da9eb 100644
--- a/s/mkgc.ss
+++ b/s/mkgc.ss
@@ -1072,7 +1072,7 @@
           [sweep
            (S_set_code_obj "gc" (RELOC_TYPE entry) _ a obj item_off)]
           [vfasl-sweep
-           (S_set_code_obj "vfasl" (abs-for-vfasl (RELOC_TYPE entry)) _ a obj item_off)]
+           (S_set_code_obj "vfasl" (abs_reloc_variant (RELOC_TYPE entry)) _ a obj item_off)]
           [else]))))
 
     (case-mode
@@ -1142,11 +1142,6 @@
    [(vfasl-copy vfasl-sweep) e]
    [else]))
 
-(define-trace-macro (abs-for-vfasl e)
-  (case-mode
-   [vfasl-sweep reloc_abs]
-   [else e]))
-
 (define-trace-macro (when-mark e)
   (case-mode
    [(mark) e]