diff --git a/src/cmd/5g/ggen.c b/src/cmd/5g/ggen.c
index a60f414943..8566f935df 100644
--- a/src/cmd/5g/ggen.c
+++ b/src/cmd/5g/ggen.c
@@ -407,7 +407,9 @@ cgen_asop(Node *n)
 hard:
 	n2.op = 0;
 	n1.op = 0;
-	if(nr->ullman >= nl->ullman || nl->addable) {
+	if(nr->op == OLITERAL) {
+		// don't allocate a register for literals.
+	} else if(nr->ullman >= nl->ullman || nl->addable) {
 		regalloc(&n2, nr->type, N);
 		cgen(nr, &n2);
 		nr = &n2;