diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/ssa.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/ssa.go
index 505611e6ae5..b9b3b80b527 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/ssa.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/ssa.go
@@ -553,7 +553,7 @@ func (s *state) stmt(n *Node) {
 			deref = true
 			res = res.Args[0]
 		}
-		s.assign(n.List.First(), res, needwritebarrier(n.List.First(), n.Rlist.First()), deref, 0, false)
+		s.assign(n.List.First(), res, needwritebarrier(n.List.First()), deref, 0, false)
 		s.assign(n.List.Second(), resok, false, false, 0, false)
 		return
 
@@ -565,12 +565,8 @@ func (s *state) stmt(n *Node) {
 		v := s.intrinsicCall(n.Rlist.First())
 		v1 := s.newValue1(ssa.OpSelect0, n.List.First().Type, v)
 		v2 := s.newValue1(ssa.OpSelect1, n.List.Second().Type, v)
-		// Make a fake node to mimic loading return value, ONLY for write barrier test.
-		// This is future-proofing against non-scalar 2-result intrinsics.
-		// Currently we only have scalar ones, which result in no write barrier.
-		fakeret := &Node{Op: OINDREGSP}
-		s.assign(n.List.First(), v1, needwritebarrier(n.List.First(), fakeret), false, 0, false)
-		s.assign(n.List.Second(), v2, needwritebarrier(n.List.Second(), fakeret), false, 0, false)
+		s.assign(n.List.First(), v1, needwritebarrier(n.List.First()), false, 0, false)
+		s.assign(n.List.Second(), v2, needwritebarrier(n.List.Second()), false, 0, false)
 		return
 
 	case ODCL:
@@ -696,7 +692,7 @@ func (s *state) stmt(n *Node) {
 		}
 		var r *ssa.Value
 		var isVolatile bool
-		needwb := n.Right != nil && needwritebarrier(n.Left, n.Right)
+		needwb := n.Right != nil && needwritebarrier(n.Left)
 		deref := !canSSAType(t)
 		if deref {
 			if rhs == nil {
@@ -711,7 +707,7 @@ func (s *state) stmt(n *Node) {
 				r = s.expr(rhs)
 			}
 		}
-		if rhs != nil && rhs.Op == OAPPEND && needwritebarrier(n.Left, rhs) {
+		if rhs != nil && rhs.Op == OAPPEND && needwritebarrier(n.Left) {
 			// The frontend gets rid of the write barrier to enable the special OAPPEND
 			// handling above, but since this is not a special case, we need it.
 			// TODO: just add a ptr graying to the end of growslice?
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/subr.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/subr.go
index c7b81858ccc..98aebc528e8 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/subr.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/subr.go
@@ -1170,7 +1170,7 @@ func ullmancalc(n *Node) {
 		goto out
 
 	case OAS:
-		if !needwritebarrier(n.Left, n.Right) {
+		if !needwritebarrier(n.Left) {
 			break
 		}
 		fallthrough
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/walk.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/walk.go
index 28b430f22dd..b82618af6bb 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/walk.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/walk.go
@@ -1664,8 +1664,7 @@ func fncall(l *Node, rt *Type) bool {
 	if l.Ullman >= UINF || l.Op == OINDEXMAP {
 		return true
 	}
-	var r Node
-	if needwritebarrier(l, &r) {
+	if needwritebarrier(l) {
 		return true
 	}
 	if eqtype(l.Type, rt) {
@@ -2049,8 +2048,8 @@ func isstack(n *Node) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
-// Do we need a write barrier for the assignment l = r?
-func needwritebarrier(l *Node, r *Node) bool {
+// Do we need a write barrier for assigning to l?
+func needwritebarrier(l *Node) bool {
 	if !use_writebarrier {
 		return false
 	}
@@ -2077,21 +2076,6 @@ func needwritebarrier(l *Node, r *Node) bool {
 		return false
 	}
 
-	// Implicit zeroing is still zeroing, so it needs write
-	// barriers. In practice, these are all to stack variables
-	// (even if isstack isn't smart enough to figure that out), so
-	// they'll be eliminated by the backend.
-	if r == nil {
-		return true
-	}
-
-	// Ignore no-op conversions when making decision.
-	// Ensures that xp = unsafe.Pointer(&x) is treated
-	// the same as xp = &x.
-	for r.Op == OCONVNOP {
-		r = r.Left
-	}
-
 	// TODO: We can eliminate write barriers if we know *both* the
 	// current and new content of the slot must already be shaded.
 	// We know a pointer is shaded if it's nil, or points to
@@ -2100,12 +2084,6 @@ func needwritebarrier(l *Node, r *Node) bool {
 	// writes to just-allocated objects. Unfortunately, knowing
 	// the "current" value of the slot requires flow analysis.
 
-	// No write barrier for storing address of stack values,
-	// which are guaranteed only to be written to the stack.
-	if r.Op == OADDR && isstack(r.Left) {
-		return false
-	}
-
 	// Otherwise, be conservative and use write barrier.
 	return true
 }