diff --git a/code/symbol.lisp b/code/symbol.lisp
index 455006f44639ac38d19d0a1c0dfe04e5e2c8b103..5a8b075a302d84b3ec702dc64668d57d0174dfd3 100644
--- a/code/symbol.lisp
+++ b/code/symbol.lisp
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@
   (set variable
        (%primitive make-other-immediate-type
 		   0
-		   vm:unbound-marker-type)))
+		   vm:unbound-marker-type))
+  variable)
 
 (defun symbol-value (variable)
   "VARIABLE must evaluate to a symbol.  This symbol's current special