diff --git a/ostd/coroutine.hh b/ostd/coroutine.hh
index 46734e5..e8a8f60 100644
--- a/ostd/coroutine.hh
+++ b/ostd/coroutine.hh
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ public:
     }
 
     ~coroutine() {
-        if (!p_func) {
+        if (this->p_state == detail::coroutine_context::state::TERM) {
             /* the stack has already unwound by a normal return */
             return;
         }
@@ -318,11 +318,11 @@ public:
     }
 
     explicit operator bool() const {
-        return bool(p_func);
+        return (this->p_state != detail::coroutine_context::state::TERM);
     }
 
     R resume(A ...args) {
-        if (!p_func) {
+        if (this->p_state == detail::coroutine_context::state::TERM) {
             throw coroutine_error{"dead coroutine"};
         }
         return this->call(std::forward<A>(args)...);
@@ -342,6 +342,10 @@ private:
     static void context_call(detail::transfer_t t) {
         auto &self = *(static_cast<coroutine *>(t.data));
         self.p_orig = t.ctx;
+        if (self.p_state == detail::coroutine_context::state::INIT) {
+            /* we never got to execute properly */
+            goto release;
+        }
         try {
             self.call_helper(self.p_func, std::index_sequence_for<A...>{});
         } catch (detail::coroutine_context::forced_unwind v) {
@@ -351,12 +355,10 @@ private:
             /* some other exception, will be rethrown later */
             self.p_except = std::current_exception();
         }
-        /* the func has fully finished here, so mark dead, stack
-         * will be freed by the coroutine's destructor later
-         */
-        self.p_func = nullptr;
-        /* perform a last switch back to original context */
-        self.yield_jump();
+        /* switch back, release stack */
+release:
+        self.p_state = detail::coroutine_context::state::TERM;
+        self.finish();
     }
 
     std::function<R(yield_type, A...)> p_func;
diff --git a/ostd/internal/context.hh b/ostd/internal/context.hh
index dba94dd..b1141b8 100644
--- a/ostd/internal/context.hh
+++ b/ostd/internal/context.hh
@@ -71,19 +71,20 @@ protected:
         forced_unwind(fcontext_t c): ctx(c) {}
     };
 
-    coroutine_context() {}
+    enum class state {
+        INIT = 0, HOLD, EXEC, TERM
+    };
 
-    ~coroutine_context() {
-        context_stack_free(p_stack);
-    }
+    coroutine_context() {}
 
     coroutine_context(coroutine_context const &) = delete;
     coroutine_context(coroutine_context &&c):
         p_stack(std::move(c.p_stack)), p_coro(c.p_coro), p_orig(c.p_orig),
-        p_except(std::move(c.p_except))
+        p_except(std::move(c.p_except)), p_state(std::move(c.p_state))
     {
         c.p_coro = c.p_orig = nullptr;
         c.p_stack = { nullptr, 0 };
+        c.p_state = state::TERM;
     }
 
     coroutine_context &operator=(coroutine_context const &) = delete;
@@ -93,6 +94,7 @@ protected:
     }
 
     void call() {
+        p_state = state::EXEC;
         coro_jump();
         if (p_except) {
             std::rethrow_exception(std::move(p_except));
@@ -100,6 +102,14 @@ protected:
     }
 
     void unwind() {
+        if (p_state == state::INIT) {
+            /* this coroutine never got to live :(
+             * let it call the entry point at least this once...
+             * this will kill the stack so we don't leak memory
+             */
+            coro_jump();
+            return;
+        }
         ostd_ontop_fcontext(
             std::exchange(p_coro, nullptr), nullptr,
             [](transfer_t t) -> transfer_t {
@@ -108,11 +118,20 @@ protected:
         );
     }
 
+    void finish() {
+        ostd_ontop_fcontext(p_orig, this, [](transfer_t t) -> transfer_t {
+            auto &self = *(static_cast<coroutine_context *>(t.data));
+            context_stack_free(self.p_stack);
+            return { nullptr, nullptr };
+        });
+    }
+
     void coro_jump() {
         p_coro = ostd_jump_fcontext(p_coro, this).ctx;
     }
 
     void yield_jump() {
+        p_state = state::HOLD;
         p_orig = ostd_jump_fcontext(p_orig, nullptr).ctx;
     }
 
@@ -134,6 +153,7 @@ protected:
     fcontext_t p_coro;
     fcontext_t p_orig;
     std::exception_ptr p_except;
+    state p_state = state::INIT;
 };
 
 /* stack allocator */