diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/escape/call.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/escape/call.go
index 6fcfb1b3b4..9e5abed591 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/escape/call.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/escape/call.go
@@ -57,6 +57,13 @@ func (e *escape) callCommon(ks []hole, call ir.Node, init *ir.Nodes, wrapper *ir
 		var fn *ir.Name
 		switch call.Op() {
 		case ir.OCALLFUNC:
+			// If we have a direct call to a closure (not just one we were
+			// able to statically resolve with ir.StaticValue), mark it as
+			// such so batch.outlives can optimize the flow results.
+			if call.X.Op() == ir.OCLOSURE {
+				call.X.(*ir.ClosureExpr).Func.SetClosureCalled(true)
+			}
+
 			switch v := ir.StaticValue(call.X); v.Op() {
 			case ir.ONAME:
 				if v := v.(*ir.Name); v.Class == ir.PFUNC {
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/inline/inl.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/inline/inl.go
index f1e927d643..45a533fcaf 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/inline/inl.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/inline/inl.go
@@ -470,9 +470,6 @@ func inlcopy(n ir.Node) ir.Node {
 			// x.Func.Body for iexport and local inlining.
 			oldfn := x.Func
 			newfn := ir.NewFunc(oldfn.Pos())
-			if oldfn.ClosureCalled() {
-				newfn.SetClosureCalled(true)
-			}
 			m.(*ir.ClosureExpr).Func = newfn
 			newfn.Nname = ir.NewNameAt(oldfn.Nname.Pos(), oldfn.Nname.Sym())
 			// XXX OK to share fn.Type() ??
@@ -1154,11 +1151,7 @@ func (subst *inlsubst) closure(n *ir.ClosureExpr) ir.Node {
 	// the closure is inlined in a specific function.
 	newclo := newfn.OClosure
 	newclo.SetInit(subst.list(n.Init()))
-	if oldfn.ClosureCalled() {
-		return typecheck.Callee(newclo)
-	} else {
-		return typecheck.Expr(newclo)
-	}
+	return typecheck.Expr(newclo)
 }
 
 // node recursively copies a node from the saved pristine body of the
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/func.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/func.go
index 3b9e36d4c5..269b6f14ec 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/func.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/func.go
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ const (
 	funcExportInline             // include inline body in export data
 	funcInstrumentBody           // add race/msan instrumentation during SSA construction
 	funcOpenCodedDeferDisallowed // can't do open-coded defers
-	funcClosureCalled            // closure is only immediately called
+	funcClosureCalled            // closure is only immediately called; used by escape analysis
 )
 
 type SymAndPos struct {
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/helpers.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/helpers.go
index 08affe4411..b0fb913ee8 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/helpers.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/helpers.go
@@ -160,8 +160,6 @@ func Call(pos src.XPos, typ *types.Type, fun ir.Node, args []ir.Node, dots bool)
 
 	// Add information, now that we know that fun is actually being called.
 	switch fun := fun.(type) {
-	case *ir.ClosureExpr:
-		fun.Func.SetClosureCalled(true)
 	case *ir.SelectorExpr:
 		if fun.Op() == ir.OMETHVALUE {
 			op := ir.ODOTMETH
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/reader.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/reader.go
index d938dca5d4..05cfc614a2 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/reader.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/reader.go
@@ -1523,9 +1523,6 @@ func (r *reader) expr() ir.Node {
 
 	case exprCall:
 		fun := r.expr()
-		if clo, ok := fun.(*ir.ClosureExpr); ok {
-			clo.Func.SetClosureCalled(true)
-		}
 		pos := r.pos()
 		args := r.exprs()
 		dots := r.bool()
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/stencil.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/stencil.go
index d35e036ae6..dbaebf7623 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/stencil.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/stencil.go
@@ -1193,8 +1193,6 @@ func (subst *subster) node(n ir.Node) ir.Node {
 			newfn := ir.NewClosureFunc(oldfn.Pos(), subst.newf != nil)
 			ir.NameClosure(newfn.OClosure, subst.newf)
 
-			newfn.SetClosureCalled(oldfn.ClosureCalled())
-
 			saveNewf := subst.newf
 			ir.CurFunc = newfn
 			subst.newf = newfn
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/func.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/func.go
index 68f0c20e52..847e9b9aea 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/func.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/func.go
@@ -242,8 +242,6 @@ func tcClosure(clo *ir.ClosureExpr, top int) ir.Node {
 		fn.Iota = x
 	}
 
-	fn.SetClosureCalled(top&ctxCallee != 0)
-
 	ir.NameClosure(clo, ir.CurFunc)
 	Func(fn)