diff --git a/ir_emit.c b/ir_emit.c
index d5606fc..aa43eeb 100644
--- a/ir_emit.c
+++ b/ir_emit.c
@@ -270,11 +270,11 @@ int ir_match(ir_ctx *ctx)
 
 	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;
 			}
-			prev = 0;
 			for (i = bb->start, insn = ctx->ir_base + i; i < bb->end;) {
 				ctx->prev_ref[i] = prev;
 				n = ir_operands_count(ctx, insn);
diff --git a/ir_ra.c b/ir_ra.c
index 9c3c287..18f0e48 100644
--- a/ir_ra.c
+++ b/ir_ra.c
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ int ir_assign_virtual_registers(ir_ctx *ctx)
 	}
 	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;
@@ -65,7 +66,7 @@ int ir_assign_virtual_registers(ir_ctx *ctx)
 
 		/* skip first instruction */
 		insn = ctx->ir_base + i;
-		ctx->prev_ref[i] = 0;
+		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