diff --git a/noun/retrieve.c b/noun/retrieve.c
index 8ed4eeaf6..33cd75225 100644
--- a/noun/retrieve.c
+++ b/noun/retrieve.c
@@ -1701,14 +1701,10 @@ u3r_mug(u3_noun veb)
     veb   = fam->veb;
     veb_u = u3a_to_ptr(veb);
 
-    if ( _(u3a_is_atom(veb)) ) {
-      mug_w = _mug_atom(veb);
-      fam = _mug_pop(mov, off, mug_w);
-    }
     //  both head and tail are mugged; combine them and pop stack
     //
-    else if ( (0 != a) && (0 != b) ) {
-      //fprintf(stderr, "combining head and tail mugs\r\n");
+    if ( (0 != a) && (0 != b) ) {
+      fprintf(stderr, "combining head and tail mugs\r\n");
       mug_w = u3r_mug_both(a, b);
       veb_u->mug_w = mug_w;
       fam = _mug_pop(mov, off, mug_w);
@@ -1716,24 +1712,38 @@ u3r_mug(u3_noun veb)
     //  head is mugged, but not tail; push tail onto stack
     //
     else if ( (0 != a) && (0 == b) ) {
-      //fprintf(stderr, "pushing tail\r\n");
-      fam = _mug_push(mov, off, u3t(veb));
+      if ( _(u3a_is_atom(u3t(veb))) ) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "tail is atom\r\n");
+        mug_w = _mug_atom(u3t(veb));
+        fam->b = mug_w;
+      }
+      else {
+        fprintf(stderr, "pushing tail\r\n");
+        fam = _mug_push(mov, off, u3t(veb));
+      }
     }
     //  cell, and neither head nor tail is mugged; push head onto stack
     //
     else {
-      //fprintf(stderr, "asserting cell\r\n");
+      fprintf(stderr, "asserting cell\r\n");
       c3_assert(_(u3a_is_cell(veb)));
       //  already mugged; pop stack
       //
       if ( veb_u->mug_w ) {
-        //fprintf(stderr, "already mugged\r\n");
+        fprintf(stderr, "already mugged\r\n");
         mug_w = veb_u->mug_w;
         fam = _mug_pop(mov, off, mug_w);
       }
       else {
-        //fprintf(stderr, "pushing head\r\n");
-        fam = _mug_push(mov, off, u3h(veb));
+        if ( _(u3a_is_atom(u3h(veb))) ) {
+          fprintf(stderr, "head is atom\r\n");
+          mug_w = _mug_atom(u3h(veb));
+          fam->a = mug_w;
+        }
+        else {
+          fprintf(stderr, "pushing head\r\n");
+          fam = _mug_push(mov, off, u3h(veb));
+        }
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/tests/hash_tests.c b/tests/hash_tests.c
index b22d5ff16..10a87730d 100644
--- a/tests/hash_tests.c
+++ b/tests/hash_tests.c
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ _test_mug(void)
   
   u3_noun set = u3_nul;
   c3_w  len_w = 0;
-  while ( 0xf > len_w ) {
+  while ( 0x1 > len_w ) {
     set = u3qdi_put(set, len_w++);
   }
   u3r_mug(set);