diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/esc.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/esc.go
index 7ef07961dea..03c0adafd51 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/esc.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/esc.go
@@ -680,7 +680,18 @@ func (e *EscState) esc(n *Node, parent *Node) {
 	}
 
 	e.esc(n.Left, n)
+
+	if n.Op == ORANGE {
+		// ORANGE node's Right is evaluated before the loop
+		e.loopdepth--
+	}
+
 	e.esc(n.Right, n)
+
+	if n.Op == ORANGE {
+		e.loopdepth++
+	}
+
 	e.esclist(n.Nbody, n)
 	e.esclist(n.List, n)
 	e.esclist(n.Rlist, n)
diff --git a/test/fixedbugs/issue21709.go b/test/fixedbugs/issue21709.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..bf5d9d23f18
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixedbugs/issue21709.go
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+// errorcheck -0 -l -m
+
+// Copyright 2017 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+// Issue 21709: range expression overly escapes.
+
+package p
+
+type S struct{}
+
+func (s *S) Inc() {} // ERROR "\(\*S\).Inc s does not escape"
+var N int
+
+func F1() {
+	var s S // ERROR "moved to heap: s"
+	for i := 0; i < N; i++ {
+		fs := []func(){ // ERROR "F1 \[\]func\(\) literal does not escape"
+			s.Inc, // ERROR "F1 s.Inc does not escape" "s escapes to heap"
+		}
+		for _, f := range fs {
+			f()
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func F2() {
+	var s S // ERROR "moved to heap: s"
+	for i := 0; i < N; i++ {
+		for _, f := range []func(){ // ERROR "F2 \[\]func\(\) literal does not escape"
+			s.Inc, // ERROR "F2 s.Inc does not escape" "s escapes to heap"
+		} {
+			f()
+		}
+	}
+}