diff --git a/bin/ikarus b/bin/ikarus
index 8e0e932..78ea212 100755
Binary files a/bin/ikarus and b/bin/ikarus differ
diff --git a/bin/ikarus-fasl.c b/bin/ikarus-fasl.c
index 204da19..c3436b3 100644
--- a/bin/ikarus-fasl.c
+++ b/bin/ikarus-fasl.c
@@ -344,8 +344,7 @@ static ikp do_read(ikpcb* pcb, fasl_port* p){
     ikp rtd;
     if(gensym_val == unbound_object){
       rtd = ik_alloc(pcb, align(rtd_size)) + vector_tag;
-      ikp base_sym = ik_cstring_to_symbol("$base-rtd", pcb);
-      ikp base_rtd = ref(base_sym, off_symbol_system_value);
+      ikp base_rtd = pcb->base_rtd;
       ref(rtd, off_rtd_rtd) = base_rtd;
       ref(rtd, off_rtd_name) = name;
       ref(rtd, off_rtd_length) = fix(n);
diff --git a/bin/ikarus-runtime.c b/bin/ikarus-runtime.c
index e46b2f4..216d410 100644
--- a/bin/ikarus-runtime.c
+++ b/bin/ikarus-runtime.c
@@ -327,7 +327,6 @@ ikpcb* ik_make_pcb(){
   }
   /* initialize base rtd */
   {
-    ikp s = ik_cstring_to_symbol("$base-rtd", pcb);
     ikp r = ik_alloc(pcb, align(rtd_size)) + rtd_tag;
     ref(r, off_rtd_rtd) = r;
     ref(r, off_rtd_length) = (ikp) (rtd_size-wordsize);
@@ -335,8 +334,6 @@ ikpcb* ik_make_pcb(){
     ref(r, off_rtd_fields) = 0;
     ref(r, off_rtd_printer) = 0;
     ref(r, off_rtd_symbol) = 0;
-    ref(s, off_symbol_system_value) = r;
-    ref(s, off_symbol_value) = r;
     pcb->base_rtd = r;
   }
   return pcb;