diff --git a/ir.h b/ir.h
index f827ff4..1410a73 100644
--- a/ir.h
+++ b/ir.h
@@ -582,6 +582,7 @@ int ir_build_cfg(ir_ctx *ctx);
 int ir_build_dominators_tree(ir_ctx *ctx);
 int ir_find_loops(ir_ctx *ctx);
 int ir_schedule_blocks(ir_ctx *ctx);
+void ir_build_prev_refs(ir_ctx *ctx);
 
 /* SCCP - Sparse Conditional Constant Propagation (implementation in ir_sccp.c) */
 int ir_sccp(ir_ctx *ctx);
diff --git a/ir_emit.c b/ir_emit.c
index aa43eeb..450ca9a 100644
--- a/ir_emit.c
+++ b/ir_emit.c
@@ -264,27 +264,11 @@ static void *ir_jmp_addr(ir_ctx *ctx, ir_insn *insn, ir_insn *addr_insn)
 int ir_match(ir_ctx *ctx)
 {
 	uint32_t b;
-	ir_ref i, n, prev;
+	ir_ref i;
 	ir_block *bb;
-	ir_insn *insn;
 
 	if (!ctx->prev_ref) {
-		ctx->prev_ref = ir_mem_malloc(ctx->insns_count * sizeof(ir_ref));
-		prev = 0;
-		for (b = 1, bb = ctx->cfg_blocks + b; b <= ctx->cfg_blocks_count; b++, bb++) {
-			if (bb->flags & IR_BB_UNREACHABLE) {
-				continue;
-			}
-			for (i = bb->start, insn = ctx->ir_base + i; i < bb->end;) {
-				ctx->prev_ref[i] = prev;
-				n = ir_operands_count(ctx, insn);
-				n = 1 + (n >> 2); // support for multi-word instructions like MERGE and PHI
-				prev = i;
-				i += n;
-				insn += n;
-			}
-			ctx->prev_ref[i] = prev;
-		}
+		ir_build_prev_refs(ctx);
 	}
 
 	ctx->rules = ir_mem_calloc(ctx->insns_count, sizeof(uint32_t));
@@ -293,7 +277,6 @@ int ir_match(ir_ctx *ctx)
 			continue;
 		}
 		for (i = bb->end; i > bb->start; i = ctx->prev_ref[i]) {
-			insn = &ctx->ir_base[i];
 			if (!ctx->rules[i]) {
 				ctx->rules[i] = ir_match_insn(ctx, i, bb);
 			}
diff --git a/ir_emit_c.c b/ir_emit_c.c
index c90d1aa..f7e1e51 100644
--- a/ir_emit_c.c
+++ b/ir_emit_c.c
@@ -672,6 +672,10 @@ static int ir_emit_func(ir_ctx *ctx, FILE *f)
 
 	ret_type = ir_get_return_type(ctx);
 
+	if (!ctx->prev_ref) {
+		ir_build_prev_refs(ctx);
+	}
+
 	use_list = &ctx->use_lists[1];
 	n = use_list->count;
 	for (i = 0, p = &ctx->use_edges[use_list->refs]; i < n; i++, p++) {
diff --git a/ir_gcm.c b/ir_gcm.c
index 3133209..d4bc17a 100644
--- a/ir_gcm.c
+++ b/ir_gcm.c
@@ -739,3 +739,28 @@ restart:
 
 	return 1;
 }
+
+void ir_build_prev_refs(ir_ctx *ctx)
+{
+	uint32_t b;
+	ir_block *bb;
+	ir_ref i, n, prev;
+	ir_insn *insn;
+
+	ctx->prev_ref = ir_mem_malloc(ctx->insns_count * sizeof(ir_ref));
+	prev = 0;
+	for (b = 1, bb = ctx->cfg_blocks + b; b <= ctx->cfg_blocks_count; b++, bb++) {
+		if (bb->flags & IR_BB_UNREACHABLE) {
+			continue;
+		}
+		for (i = bb->start, insn = ctx->ir_base + i; i < bb->end;) {
+			ctx->prev_ref[i] = prev;
+			n = ir_operands_count(ctx, insn);
+			n = 1 + (n >> 2); // support for multi-word instructions like MERGE and PHI
+			prev = i;
+			i += n;
+			insn += n;
+		}
+		ctx->prev_ref[i] = prev;
+	}
+}
diff --git a/ir_ra.c b/ir_ra.c
index 18f0e48..5c59440 100644
--- a/ir_ra.c
+++ b/ir_ra.c
@@ -46,18 +46,14 @@ int ir_assign_virtual_registers(ir_ctx *ctx)
 	uint32_t *vregs;
 	uint32_t vregs_count = 0;
 	uint32_t b;
-	ir_ref i, n, prev;
+	ir_ref i, n;
 	ir_block *bb;
 	ir_insn *insn;
 	uint32_t flags;
 
 	/* Assign unique virtual register to each data node */
-	if (!ctx->prev_ref) {
-		ctx->prev_ref = ir_mem_malloc(ctx->insns_count * sizeof(ir_ref));
-	}
 	vregs = ir_mem_calloc(ctx->insns_count, sizeof(ir_ref));
 	n = 1;
-	prev = 0;
 	for (b = 1, bb = ctx->cfg_blocks + b; b <= ctx->cfg_blocks_count; b++, bb++) {
 		if (bb->flags & IR_BB_UNREACHABLE) {
 			continue;
@@ -66,14 +62,11 @@ int ir_assign_virtual_registers(ir_ctx *ctx)
 
 		/* skip first instruction */
 		insn = ctx->ir_base + i;
-		ctx->prev_ref[i] = prev;
-		prev = i;
 		n = ir_operands_count(ctx, insn);
 		n = 1 + (n >> 2); // support for multi-word instructions like MERGE and PHI
 		i += n;
 		insn += n;
 		while (i < bb->end) {
-			ctx->prev_ref[i] = prev;
 			flags = ir_op_flags[insn->op];
 			if (((flags & IR_OP_FLAG_DATA) && ctx->use_lists[i].count > 0)
 			 || ((flags & IR_OP_FLAG_MEM) && ctx->use_lists[i].count > 1)) {
@@ -83,11 +76,9 @@ int ir_assign_virtual_registers(ir_ctx *ctx)
 			}
 			n = ir_operands_count(ctx, insn);
 			n = 1 + (n >> 2); // support for multi-word instructions like MERGE and PHI
-			prev = i;
 			i += n;
 			insn += n;
 		}
-		ctx->prev_ref[i] = prev;
 	}
 	ctx->vregs_count = vregs_count;
 	ctx->vregs = vregs;