diff --git a/c/gc.c b/c/gc.c
index f2f69a0cc7..8d1dd76ab6 100644
--- a/c/gc.c
+++ b/c/gc.c
@@ -1524,6 +1524,7 @@ void GCENTRY(ptr tc, IGEN mcg, IGEN tg) {
         if (g == static_generation) S_G.number_of_nonstatic_segments -= 1;
         si->next = S_G.occupied_segments[s][g];
         S_G.occupied_segments[s][g] = si;
+        si->trigger_ephemerons = NULL;
 #ifdef PRESERVE_FLONUM_EQ
         /* any flonums forwarded won't be reference anymore */
         si->forwarded_flonums = NULL;
diff --git a/c/segment.c b/c/segment.c
index 142af77b9f..a5b333558d 100644
--- a/c/segment.c
+++ b/c/segment.c
@@ -230,7 +230,6 @@ static void initialize_seginfo(seginfo *si, ISPC s, IGEN g) {
   si->generation = g;
   si->sorted = 0;
   si->min_dirty_byte = 0xff;
-  si->trigger_ephemerons = NULL;
   for (d = 0; d < cards_per_segment; d += sizeof(ptr)) {
     iptr *dp = (iptr *)(si->dirty_bytes + d);
     /* fill sizeof(iptr) bytes at a time with 0xff */