diff --git a/compiler/old-rt/call.lisp b/compiler/old-rt/call.lisp
index a442f3135296c1dc0abbaea1547ca3725be94420..7545d794c1ff545cde950e96c18a68a2bbc620e9 100644
--- a/compiler/old-rt/call.lisp
+++ b/compiler/old-rt/call.lisp
@@ -522,7 +522,7 @@ default-value-5
 		    '(unknown-values-receiver)))
      (:args
       ,@(unless (eq return :tail)
-	  '((new-fp :scs (descriptor-reg) :to :eval
+	  `((new-fp :scs (descriptor-reg) :to :eval
 		    ,@(unless variable
 			`(:load-if (> nargs register-arg-count))))))