diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/esc.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/esc.go
index c5597d7f48..0fd514fbaf 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/esc.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/esc.go
@@ -1572,7 +1572,7 @@ func esccall(e *EscState, n *Node, up *Node) {
 		}
 
 		if haspointers(t.Type) {
-			if escassignfromtag(e, note, nE.Escretval, src) == EscNone && up.Op != ODEFER && up.Op != OPROC {
+			if escassignfromtag(e, note, nE.Escretval, src)&EscMask == EscNone && up.Op != ODEFER && up.Op != OPROC {
 				a := src
 				for a.Op == OCONVNOP {
 					a = a.Left
diff --git a/test/live.go b/test/live.go
index db47e14e93..ef0ade23c7 100644
--- a/test/live.go
+++ b/test/live.go
@@ -643,3 +643,13 @@ func good40() {
 	printnl() // ERROR "live at call to printnl: autotmp_[0-9]+ ret$"
 	_ = t
 }
+
+func ddd1(x, y *int) { // ERROR "live at entry to ddd1: x y$"
+	ddd2(x, y) // ERROR "live at call to ddd2: autotmp_[0-9]+$"
+	printnl()  // nothing live here.  See issue 16996.
+}
+func ddd2(a ...*int) { // ERROR "live at entry to ddd2: a$"
+	sink = a[0]
+}
+
+var sink *int
diff --git a/test/live_ssa.go b/test/live_ssa.go
index 27c4528dc1..cf06141b44 100644
--- a/test/live_ssa.go
+++ b/test/live_ssa.go
@@ -646,3 +646,11 @@ func good40() {
 	printnl() // ERROR "live at call to printnl: autotmp_[0-9]+ ret$"
 	_ = t
 }
+
+func ddd1(x, y *int) { // ERROR "live at entry to ddd1: x y$"
+	ddd2(x, y) // ERROR "live at call to ddd2: autotmp_[0-9]+$"
+	printnl()  // nothing live here.  See issue 16996.
+}
+func ddd2(a ...*int) { // ERROR "live at entry to ddd2: a$"
+	sink = a[0]
+}