diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/esc.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/esc.go
index 0fd514fbaf..c5597d7f48 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)&EscMask == EscNone && up.Op != ODEFER && up.Op != OPROC {
+			if escassignfromtag(e, note, nE.Escretval, src) == 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 ef0ade23c7..db47e14e93 100644
--- a/test/live.go
+++ b/test/live.go
@@ -643,13 +643,3 @@ 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 cf06141b44..27c4528dc1 100644
--- a/test/live_ssa.go
+++ b/test/live_ssa.go
@@ -646,11 +646,3 @@ 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]
-}