diff --git a/eval.c b/eval.c
index ac694626..6612907d 100644
--- a/eval.c
+++ b/eval.c
@@ -960,6 +960,7 @@ static void generate_general_app (sexp ctx, sexp app) {
   emit(ctx, (tailp ? OP_TAIL_CALL : OP_CALL));
   emit_word(ctx, (sexp_uint_t)sexp_make_fixnum(len));
 
+  sexp_context_tailp(ctx) = tailp;
   sexp_context_depth(ctx) -= len;
   sexp_gc_release1(ctx);
 }
diff --git a/init.scm b/init.scm
index b5b372e6..629d4de7 100644
--- a/init.scm
+++ b/init.scm
@@ -122,7 +122,9 @@
          #f
          ((lambda (cl)
             (if (compare 'else (car cl))
-                (cons (rename 'begin) (cdr cl))
+                (if (pair? (cddr expr))
+                    (error "non-final else in cond" expr)
+                    (cons (rename 'begin) (cdr cl)))
                 (if (if (null? (cdr cl)) #t (compare '=> (cadr cl)))
                     (list (list (rename 'lambda) (list (rename 'tmp))
                                 (list (rename 'if) (rename 'tmp)