diff --git a/c/lumbda.h b/c/lumbda.h
index 0533ac5..eebf40e 100644
--- a/c/lumbda.h
+++ b/c/lumbda.h
@@ -478,6 +478,7 @@ typedef struct VMFrame {
     Value *stack;
     int stack_len;
     int stack_cap;
+    CodeObj *cur_code;     /* saved so RET restores it — needed for SELF_TAIL_CALL after a nested call */
 } VMFrame;
 
 typedef struct FullCont {
diff --git a/c/vm.c b/c/vm.c
index 0633a31..83708a3 100644
--- a/c/vm.c
+++ b/c/vm.c
@@ -798,6 +798,7 @@ Value vm_exec(CodeObj *code, Env *env) {
                 f->instrs = instrs; f->ip = ip; f->n_instrs = n_instrs;
                 f->env = env;
                 f->stack = stack.data; f->stack_len = stack.len; f->stack_cap = stack.cap;
+                f->cur_code = cur_code;
 
                 env = env_child(cp->env, cp->params, cp->nparams, cp->rest, args_arr, nargs);
                 cur_code = cp->code;
@@ -848,6 +849,7 @@ Value vm_exec(CodeObj *code, Env *env) {
                 env = f->env;
                 ul_free(stack.data);
                 stack.data = f->stack; stack.len = f->stack_len; stack.cap = f->stack_cap;
+                cur_code = f->cur_code;
                 vs_push(&stack, ret);
                 continue;
             }
@@ -862,6 +864,7 @@ Value vm_exec(CodeObj *code, Env *env) {
             env = f->env;
             ul_free(stack.data);
             stack.data = f->stack; stack.len = f->stack_len; stack.cap = f->stack_cap;
+            cur_code = f->cur_code;
             vs_push(&stack, ret);
             continue;
         }
@@ -915,6 +918,7 @@ Value vm_exec(CodeObj *code, Env *env) {
                     f->instrs = instrs; f->ip = ip; f->n_instrs = n_instrs;
                     f->env = env;
                     f->stack = stack.data; f->stack_len = stack.len; f->stack_cap = stack.cap;
+                    f->cur_code = cur_code;
                     Value kargs[1] = {cont_val};
                     env = env_child(cp->env, cp->params, cp->nparams, cp->rest, kargs, 1);
                     cur_code = cp->code;