diff --git a/lib/compiler/src/beam_ssa_destructive_update.erl b/lib/compiler/src/beam_ssa_destructive_update.erl
index 9cf9d814c97c..668da13a2ffe 100644
--- a/lib/compiler/src/beam_ssa_destructive_update.erl
+++ b/lib/compiler/src/beam_ssa_destructive_update.erl
@@ -891,13 +891,28 @@ patch_literal_term(<<>>, {self,init_writable}, Cnt0) ->
     {V,Cnt} = new_var(Cnt0),
     I = #b_set{op=bs_init_writable,dst=V,args=[#b_literal{val=256}]},
     {V,[I],Cnt};
-patch_literal_term([H0|T0], {hd,Element,_}, Cnt0) ->
-    {H,Extra,Cnt1} = patch_literal_term(H0, Element, Cnt0),
-    {T,[],Cnt1} = patch_literal_term(T0, [], Cnt1),
-    {Dst,Cnt} = new_var(Cnt1),
+patch_literal_term(Lst, {hd,_,_}=E, Cnt0) ->
+    patch_literal_list(Lst, E, Cnt0);
+patch_literal_term(Lit, [], Cnt) ->
+    {#b_literal{val=Lit}, [], Cnt}.
+
+%%
+%% The initial value tracker is unable to easily follow list tails, to
+%% compensate for this a patch for the head of a literal list is
+%% applied to all elements of the list. Sometimes this is unnecessary,
+%% but as it appears to be infrequent and mostly harmless, this avoids
+%% extra complexity in the tracker.
+%%
+patch_literal_list([H0|T0], {hd,Element,_}=E, Cnt0) ->
+    {H,Extra2,Cnt1} = patch_literal_term(H0, Element, Cnt0),
+    {T,Extra1,Cnt2} = patch_literal_term(T0, E, Cnt1),
+    Extra = Extra2 ++ Extra1,
+    {Dst,Cnt} = new_var(Cnt2),
     I = #b_set{op=put_list,dst=Dst,args=[H,T]},
     {Dst, [I|Extra], Cnt};
-patch_literal_term(Lit, [], Cnt) ->
+patch_literal_list(Lit, {hd,_,_}, Cnt) ->
+    %% Lit is normally [], but if it is not, we know that it is not a
+    %% cons that needs to end up on the heap, so it can be left as is.
     {#b_literal{val=Lit}, [], Cnt}.
 
 patch_literal_tuple(Tuple, Elements0, Cnt) ->
diff --git a/lib/compiler/test/beam_ssa_check_SUITE_data/tuple_inplace_checks.erl b/lib/compiler/test/beam_ssa_check_SUITE_data/tuple_inplace_checks.erl
index 70c28fd9bde4..640da51d64ea 100644
--- a/lib/compiler/test/beam_ssa_check_SUITE_data/tuple_inplace_checks.erl
+++ b/lib/compiler/test/beam_ssa_check_SUITE_data/tuple_inplace_checks.erl
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@
 
 -export([do0a/0, do0b/2, different_sizes/2, ambiguous_inits/1,
          update_record0/0, fc/0, track_update_record/1,
-         gh8124_a/0, gh8124_b/0]).
+         gh8124_a/0, gh8124_b/0,
+         failure_to_patch_list/0]).
 
 -record(r, {a=0,b=0,c=0,tot=0}).
 -record(r1, {a}).
@@ -236,3 +237,26 @@ gh8124_b() ->
     [R] = gh8124_b_inner(),
     R#r{a = <<"value 2">>}.
 
+
+%% Check that the list of tuples is built on the heap.
+
+failure_to_patch_list() ->
+%ssa% () when post_ssa_opt ->
+%ssa% T0 = put_tuple(...),
+%ssa% L0 = put_list(T0, []),
+%ssa% T1 = put_tuple(...),
+%ssa% L1 = put_list(T1, L0),
+%ssa% _ = call(_, L1).
+    _ = [
+         ftpl(ClassDef) ||
+	    ClassDef <- [#r{a={}},
+			 #r{}
+			]
+        ],
+    ok.
+
+ftpl(Ts0) ->
+%ssa% (X) when post_ssa_opt ->
+%ssa% _ = update_record(inplace, 5, X,...).
+    A = erlang:timestamp(),
+    Ts0#r{a=A}.