diff --git a/cgen.scm b/cgen.scm
index 2dbb95b7..996ad4cd 100644
--- a/cgen.scm
+++ b/cgen.scm
@@ -817,6 +817,7 @@
   (else #f))
 
 (define (allocate-symbol sym)
+(trace:error `(JAE DEBUG allocate-symbol ,sym ,(Cyc-reserved-symbol? sym)))
   (if (and (not (member sym *symbols*))
            (not (Cyc-reserved-symbol? sym)))
       (set! *symbols* (cons sym *symbols*))))
diff --git a/runtime.c b/runtime.c
index 54118fc0..ce22e4e6 100644
--- a/runtime.c
+++ b/runtime.c
@@ -614,11 +614,8 @@ object Cyc_is_symbol(object o){
     return boolean_f;}
 
 object Cyc_is_reserved_symbol(object o) {
-TODO: why did this return #t all the time in self-compiled cyclone
-when equalp was used below instead of equal? should switch them and
-debug to investigate. is this the same reason why the Cyc_procedure error
-is thrown when trying to self-compile eval.c????
-  if (Cyc_is_symbol(o) == boolean_t && equal(o, quote_Cyc_191procedure))
+  if (Cyc_is_symbol(o) == boolean_t && 
+      equalp(o, quote_Cyc_191procedure) == boolean_t)
       return boolean_t;
   return boolean_f; }