diff --git a/examples/coroutine1.cc b/examples/coroutine1.cc
index b29e8c4..ba4cb5f 100644
--- a/examples/coroutine1.cc
+++ b/examples/coroutine1.cc
@@ -37,13 +37,7 @@ int main() {
         int val = 5;
         for (int i: range(steps)) {
             writeln("    calling into coroutine...");
-            int v;
-            try {
-                v = f(val);
-            } catch (coroutine_error const &e) {
-                writefln("coroutine error: %s", e.what());
-                return 0;
-            }
+            auto v = f(val);
             writefln("    called into coroutine which yielded: %s", v);
             writefln("    call loop iteration %s done", i + 1);
             writefln("    coroutine dead: %s", !f);
@@ -291,5 +285,6 @@ starting main...
     call loop iteration 6 done
     coroutine dead: true
     calling into coroutine...
-coroutine error: dead coroutine
+terminating with uncaught exception of type ostd::coroutine_error: dead coroutine
+zsh: abort      ./coro
 */
diff --git a/ostd/coroutine.hh b/ostd/coroutine.hh
index 7248a21..2a9e456 100644
--- a/ostd/coroutine.hh
+++ b/ostd/coroutine.hh
@@ -267,14 +267,12 @@ namespace detail {
 
         coro_args<A...> operator()(R &&ret) {
             p_coro.p_result = std::forward<R>(ret);
-            p_coro.set_hold();
             p_coro.yield_jump();
             return p_coro.get_args(std::make_index_sequence<sizeof...(A)>{});
         }
 
         coro_args<A...> operator()(R const &ret) {
             p_coro.p_result = ret;
-            p_coro.set_hold();
             p_coro.yield_jump();
             return p_coro.get_args(std::make_index_sequence<sizeof...(A)>{});
         }
@@ -289,7 +287,6 @@ namespace detail {
 
         coro_args<A...> operator()(R &ret) {
             p_coro.p_result = ret;
-            p_coro.set_hold();
             p_coro.yield_jump();
             return p_coro.get_args(std::make_index_sequence<sizeof...(A)>{});
         }
@@ -304,7 +301,6 @@ namespace detail {
 
         coro_args<A...> operator()(R &&ret) {
             p_coro.p_result = std::forward<R>(ret);
-            p_coro.set_hold();
             p_coro.yield_jump();
             return p_coro.get_args(std::make_index_sequence<sizeof...(A)>{});
         }
@@ -318,7 +314,6 @@ namespace detail {
         coro_yielder(coro_base<void, A...> &coro): p_coro(coro) {}
 
         coro_args<A...> operator()() {
-            p_coro.set_hold();
             p_coro.yield_jump();
             return p_coro.get_args(std::make_index_sequence<sizeof...(A)>{});
         }
@@ -424,8 +419,7 @@ private:
         }
         /* switch back, release stack */
 release:
-        self.set_dead();
-        self.yield_jump();
+        self.template finish<SA>();
     }
 
     std::function<R(yield_type, A...)> p_func;
@@ -452,13 +446,11 @@ private:
 
         void operator()(T &&ret) {
             p_gen.p_result = &ret;
-            p_gen.set_hold();
             p_gen.yield_jump();
         }
 
         void operator()(T &ret) {
             p_gen.p_result = &ret;
-            p_gen.set_hold();
             p_gen.yield_jump();
         }
     private:
@@ -574,8 +566,7 @@ private:
         }
 release:
         self.p_result = nullptr;
-        self.set_dead();
-        self.yield_jump();
+        self.template finish<SA>();
     }
 
     std::function<void(yield_type)> p_func;
diff --git a/ostd/internal/context.hh b/ostd/internal/context.hh
index b43d66e..0a754b3 100644
--- a/ostd/internal/context.hh
+++ b/ostd/internal/context.hh
@@ -56,12 +56,11 @@ protected:
     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_state(std::move(c.p_state)),
-        p_sa(c.p_sa), p_free(c.p_free)
+        p_sa(c.p_sa)
     {
         c.p_coro = c.p_orig = nullptr;
         c.p_stack = { nullptr, 0 };
         c.p_sa = nullptr;
-        c.p_free = nullptr;
         c.set_dead();
     }
 
@@ -80,21 +79,37 @@ protected:
     }
 
     void unwind() {
-        if (is_dead() || !p_orig) {
-            /* this coroutine is either done or never started */
-            free_stack();
+        if (is_dead()) {
+            /* this coroutine was either initialized with a null function or
+             * it's already terminated and thus its stack has already unwound
+             */
+            return;
+        }
+        if (!p_orig) {
+            /* 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;
         }
-        /* this coroutine is suspended, and we need to make sure all
-         * the destructors for its locals get called by forcing unwind
-         */
         ostd_ontop_fcontext(
             std::exchange(p_coro, nullptr), nullptr,
             [](transfer_t t) -> transfer_t {
                 throw forced_unwind{t.ctx};
             }
         );
-        free_stack();
+    }
+
+    template<typename SA>
+    void finish() {
+        set_dead();
+        ostd_ontop_fcontext(p_orig, this, [](transfer_t t) -> transfer_t {
+            auto &self = *(static_cast<coroutine_context *>(t.data));
+            auto &sa = *(static_cast<SA *>(self.p_sa));
+            sa.deallocate(self.p_stack);
+            return { nullptr, nullptr };
+        });
     }
 
     void coro_jump() {
@@ -102,6 +117,7 @@ protected:
     }
 
     void yield_jump() {
+        p_state = state::HOLD;
         p_orig = ostd_jump_fcontext(p_orig, nullptr).ctx;
     }
 
@@ -113,10 +129,6 @@ protected:
         return (p_state == state::TERM);
     }
 
-    void set_hold() {
-        p_state = state::HOLD;
-    }
-
     void set_dead() {
         p_state = state::TERM;
     }
@@ -129,7 +141,6 @@ protected:
         swap(p_except, other.p_except);
         swap(p_state, other.p_state);
         swap(p_sa, other.p_sa);
-        swap(p_free, other.p_free);
     }
 
     template<typename SA>
@@ -146,20 +157,6 @@ protected:
 
         p_coro = ostd_make_fcontext(sp, asize, callp);
         p_sa = new (sp) SA(std::move(sa));
-        p_free = &free_stack_call<SA>;
-    }
-
-    template<typename SA>
-    static void free_stack_call(void *data) {
-        auto &self = *(static_cast<coroutine_context *>(data));
-        auto &sa = *(static_cast<SA *>(self.p_sa));
-        sa.deallocate(self.p_stack);
-    }
-
-    void free_stack() {
-        if (p_free) {
-            p_free(this);
-        }
     }
 
     stack_context p_stack;
@@ -168,7 +165,6 @@ protected:
     std::exception_ptr p_except;
     state p_state = state::HOLD;
     void *p_sa = nullptr;
-    void (*p_free)(void *) = nullptr;
 };
 
 } /* namespace detail */