diff --git a/libguile/gc.c b/libguile/gc.c
index 2ae1abb8e..d2e379b1a 100644
--- a/libguile/gc.c
+++ b/libguile/gc.c
@@ -291,9 +291,11 @@ scm_check_freelist ()
 }
 
 static int scm_debug_check_freelist = 0;
-void
-scm_debug_newcell (SCM *into)
+SCM
+scm_debug_newcell (void)
 {
+  SCM new;
+
   scm_newcell_count++;
   if (scm_debug_check_freelist)
     scm_check_freelist ();
@@ -301,13 +303,15 @@ scm_debug_newcell (SCM *into)
   /* The rest of this is supposed to be identical to the SCM_NEWCELL
      macro.  */
   if (SCM_IMP (scm_freelist))
-    *into = scm_gc_for_newcell ();
+    new = scm_gc_for_newcell ();
   else
     {
-      *into = scm_freelist;
+      new = scm_freelist;
       scm_freelist = SCM_CDR (scm_freelist);
       ++scm_cells_allocated;
     }
+
+  return new;
 }
 
 #endif /* DEBUG_FREELIST */
diff --git a/libguile/gc.h b/libguile/gc.h
index 9de5817ea..709227d39 100644
--- a/libguile/gc.h
+++ b/libguile/gc.h
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ extern unsigned long scm_mallocated;
 extern unsigned long scm_mtrigger;
 
 #ifdef DEBUG_FREELIST
-extern void scm_debug_newcell (SCM *into);
+extern SCM scm_debug_newcell (void);
 #endif
 
 
diff --git a/libguile/pairs.h b/libguile/pairs.h
index e3e6355ef..3b5661041 100644
--- a/libguile/pairs.h
+++ b/libguile/pairs.h
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ typedef SCM  huge *SCMPTR;
 
 
 #ifdef DEBUG_FREELIST
-#define SCM_NEWCELL(_into) (scm_debug_newcell (&_into))
+#define SCM_NEWCELL(_into) (_into = scm_debug_newcell ())
 #else
 #define SCM_NEWCELL(_into) \
 	{ \