diff --git a/src/gc.c b/src/gc.c
index dad338ae..72190d00 100644
--- a/src/gc.c
+++ b/src/gc.c
@@ -139,8 +139,7 @@ gc_alloc(pic_state *pic, size_t size)
     if (p->s.size >= nunits)
       break;
     if (p == freep) {
-      if ((p = add_heap_page(pic)) == NULL)
-	return NULL;
+      return NULL;
     }
   }
   if (p->s.size == nunits) {
@@ -494,8 +493,11 @@ pic_obj_alloc_unsafe(pic_state *pic, size_t size, enum pic_tt tt)
   if (obj == NULL) {
     pic_gc_run(pic);
     obj = (struct pic_object *)gc_alloc(pic, size);
-    if (obj == NULL)
-      pic_abort(pic, "GC memory exhausted");
+    if (obj == NULL) {
+      if (add_heap_page(pic) == NULL)
+	pic_abort(pic, "GC memory exhausted");
+      obj = (struct pic_object *)gc_alloc(pic, size);
+    }
   }
   obj->tt = tt;