diff --git a/module/language/elisp/compile-tree-il.scm b/module/language/elisp/compile-tree-il.scm
index d8deaadd1..1ed0937e9 100644
--- a/module/language/elisp/compile-tree-il.scm
+++ b/module/language/elisp/compile-tree-il.scm
@@ -841,11 +841,7 @@
            (compile-expr (apply macro-function arguments))))
      (else
       (make-application loc
-                        (if (symbol? operator)
-                            (reference-variable loc
-                                                operator
-                                                function-slot)
-                            (compile-expr operator))
+                        (compile-expr `(function ,operator))
                         (map compile-expr arguments))))))
 
 ;;; Compile a symbol expression.  This is a variable reference or maybe
diff --git a/test-suite/tests/elisp-compiler.test b/test-suite/tests/elisp-compiler.test
index 345dd68e0..69595ebd3 100644
--- a/test-suite/tests/elisp-compiler.test
+++ b/test-suite/tests/elisp-compiler.test
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@
     ((lambda (a b c) c) 1 2 3))
 
   (pass-if-equal "optional argument" 3
-    ((function (lambda (a &optional b c) c)) 1 2 3))
+    ((lambda (a &optional b c) c) 1 2 3))
   (pass-if-equal "optional missing" nil-value
     ((lambda (&optional a) a)))