diff --git a/libguile/vm-engine.c b/libguile/vm-engine.c
index 01c3c1142..0f8fed359 100644
--- a/libguile/vm-engine.c
+++ b/libguile/vm-engine.c
@@ -664,7 +664,7 @@ VM_NAME (SCM vm, SCM program, SCM *argv, int nargs)
     fp[1] = vals;                                       \
     RESET_FRAME (3);                                    \
     ip = (scm_t_uint32 *) rtl_apply_code;               \
-    goto op_apply;                                      \
+    goto op_tail_apply;                                 \
   } while (0)
 
 #define BR_NARGS(rel)                           \
@@ -1282,13 +1282,13 @@ RTL_VM_NAME (SCM vm, SCM program, SCM *argv, size_t nargs_)
       NEXT (0);
     }
 
-  /* apply _:24
+  /* tail-apply _:24
    *
    * Tail-apply the procedure in local slot 0 to the rest of the
    * arguments.  This instruction is part of the implementation of
    * `apply', and is not generated by the compiler.
    */
-  VM_DEFINE_OP (11, apply, "apply", OP1 (U8_X24))
+  VM_DEFINE_OP (11, tail_apply, "tail-apply", OP1 (U8_X24))
     {
       int i, list_idx, list_len, nargs;
       SCM list;
diff --git a/libguile/vm.c b/libguile/vm.c
index ad41180f1..5f6a5a053 100644
--- a/libguile/vm.c
+++ b/libguile/vm.c
@@ -603,7 +603,7 @@ static const scm_t_uint32 rtl_boot_continuation_code[] = {
 };
 
 static const scm_t_uint32 rtl_apply_code[] = {
-  SCM_PACK_RTL_24 (scm_rtl_op_apply, 0) /* proc in r1, args from r2, nargs set */
+  SCM_PACK_RTL_24 (scm_rtl_op_tail_apply, 0) /* proc in r1, args from r2, nargs set */
 };
 
 static const scm_t_uint32 rtl_values_code[] = {