diff --git a/lfunc.c b/lfunc.c
index f7edf56b..6f2f897f 100644
--- a/lfunc.c
+++ b/lfunc.c
@@ -83,21 +83,20 @@ static UpVal *newupval (lua_State *L, int tbc, StkId level, UpVal **prev) {
 
 /*
 ** Find and reuse, or create if it does not exist, an upvalue
-** at the given level and set it to the given slot.
+** at the given level.
 */
-void luaF_setupval (lua_State *L, StkId level, UpVal **slot) {
+UpVal *luaF_findupval (lua_State *L, StkId level) {
   UpVal **pp = &L->openupval;
   UpVal *p;
   lua_assert(isintwups(L) || L->openupval == NULL);
   while ((p = *pp) != NULL && uplevel(p) >= level) {  /* search for it */
-    *slot = p;
-    if (uplevel(p) == level && !isdead(G(L), p))  /* corresponding upvalue? */
-      return;  /* found it */
+    lua_assert(!isdead(G(L), p));
+    if (uplevel(p) == level)  /* corresponding upvalue? */
+      return p;  /* return it */
     pp = &p->u.open.next;
   }
-  /* not found: create a new upvalue after 'pp' (which is
-    anchored in 'slot', in case of an emergency collection) */
-  *slot = newupval(L, 0, level, pp);
+  /* not found: create a new upvalue after 'pp' */
+  return newupval(L, 0, level, pp);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/lfunc.h b/lfunc.h
index 72fc913a..0ed79c48 100644
--- a/lfunc.h
+++ b/lfunc.h
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ LUAI_FUNC Proto *luaF_newproto (lua_State *L);
 LUAI_FUNC CClosure *luaF_newCclosure (lua_State *L, int nelems);
 LUAI_FUNC LClosure *luaF_newLclosure (lua_State *L, int nelems);
 LUAI_FUNC void luaF_initupvals (lua_State *L, LClosure *cl);
-LUAI_FUNC void luaF_setupval (lua_State *L, StkId level, UpVal **slot);
+LUAI_FUNC UpVal *luaF_findupval (lua_State *L, StkId level);
 LUAI_FUNC void luaF_newtbcupval (lua_State *L, StkId level);
 LUAI_FUNC int luaF_close (lua_State *L, StkId level, int status);
 LUAI_FUNC void luaF_unlinkupval (UpVal *uv);
diff --git a/lgc.c b/lgc.c
index c5babfed..b7220cf1 100644
--- a/lgc.c
+++ b/lgc.c
@@ -569,10 +569,8 @@ static int traversethread (global_State *g, lua_State *th) {
              th->openupval == NULL || isintwups(th));
   for (; o < th->top; o++)  /* mark live elements in the stack */
     markvalue(g, s2v(o));
-  for (uv = th->openupval; uv != NULL; uv = uv->u.open.next) {
-    if (uv->tbc)  /* to be closed? */
-      markobject(g, uv);  /* cannot be collected */
-  }
+  for (uv = th->openupval; uv != NULL; uv = uv->u.open.next)
+    markobject(g, uv);  /* open upvalues cannot be collected */
   if (g->gcstate == GCSatomic) {  /* final traversal? */
     StkId lim = th->stack + th->stacksize;  /* real end of stack */
     for (; o < lim; o++)  /* clear not-marked stack slice */
diff --git a/lvm.c b/lvm.c
index d3e05199..d9bd0ab3 100644
--- a/lvm.c
+++ b/lvm.c
@@ -697,7 +697,7 @@ static void pushclosure (lua_State *L, Proto *p, UpVal **encup, StkId base,
   setclLvalue2s(L, ra, ncl);  /* anchor new closure in stack */
   for (i = 0; i < nup; i++) {  /* fill in its upvalues */
     if (uv[i].instack)  /* upvalue refers to local variable? */
-      luaF_setupval(L, base + uv[i].idx, &ncl->upvals[i]);
+      ncl->upvals[i] = luaF_findupval(L, base + uv[i].idx);
     else  /* get upvalue from enclosing function */
       ncl->upvals[i] = encup[uv[i].idx];
     luaC_objbarrier(L, ncl, ncl->upvals[i]);