diff --git a/crates/backend/src/codegen.rs b/crates/backend/src/codegen.rs
index d7617b6a0..e3cc22874 100644
--- a/crates/backend/src/codegen.rs
+++ b/crates/backend/src/codegen.rs
@@ -451,9 +451,6 @@ impl TryToTokens for ast::Export {
             #[allow(non_snake_case)]
             #[cfg(all(target_arch = "wasm32", not(target_os = "emscripten")))]
             pub extern fn #generated_name(#(#args),*) #ret_ty {
-                // See definition of `link_mem_intrinsics` for what this is doing
-                ::wasm_bindgen::__rt::link_mem_intrinsics();
-
                 // Scope all local variables to be destroyed after we call the
                 // function to ensure that `#convert_ret`, if it panics, doesn't
                 // leak anything.
@@ -887,8 +884,6 @@ impl TryToTokens for ast::ImportFunction {
             #[cfg(all(target_arch = "wasm32", not(target_os = "emscripten")))]
             #[doc = #doc_comment]
             #vis fn #rust_name(#me #(#arguments),*) #ret {
-                // See definition of `link_mem_intrinsics` for what this is doing
-                ::wasm_bindgen::__rt::link_mem_intrinsics();
                 #[link(wasm_import_module = "__wbindgen_placeholder__")]
                 extern {
                     fn #import_name(#(#abi_arguments),*) -> #abi_ret;
@@ -1256,6 +1251,8 @@ impl<'a, T: ToTokens> ToTokens for Descriptor<'a, T> {
             #[cfg(all(target_arch = "wasm32", not(target_os = "emscripten")))]
             pub extern fn #name() {
                 use wasm_bindgen::describe::*;
+                // See definition of `link_mem_intrinsics` for what this is doing
+                ::wasm_bindgen::__rt::link_mem_intrinsics();
                 #inner
             }
         }).to_tokens(tokens);
diff --git a/guide/src/examples/add.md b/guide/src/examples/add.md
index 79fea0e1f..1d3fadd50 100644
--- a/guide/src/examples/add.md
+++ b/guide/src/examples/add.md
@@ -15,11 +15,11 @@ Currently this code...
 {{#include ../../../examples/add/src/lib.rs}}
 ```
 
-generates a 723 byte wasm binary:
+generates a 710 byte wasm binary:
 
 ```
 $ ls -l add_bg.wasm
--rw-rw-r-- 1 alex alex 723 Sep 19 17:32 add_bg.wasm
+-rw-rw-r-- 1 alex alex 710 Sep 19 17:32 add_bg.wasm
 ```
 
 If you run [wasm-opt], a C++ tool for optimize WebAssembly, you can make it
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ even smaller too!
 ```
 $ wasm-opt -Os add_bg.wasm -o add.wasm
 $ ls -l add.wasm
--rw-rw-r-- 1 alex alex 182 Sep 19 17:33 add.wasm
+-rw-rw-r-- 1 alex alex 172 Sep 19 17:33 add.wasm
 ```
 
 And sure enough, using the [wasm2wat] tool it's quite small!
@@ -38,9 +38,6 @@ $ wasm2wat add.wasm
 (module
   (type (;0;) (func (param i32 i32) (result i32)))
   (func (;0;) (type 0) (param i32 i32) (result i32)
-    i32.const 1048640
-    i32.const 0
-    i32.store
     get_local 1
     get_local 0
     i32.add)
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 90fd896c4..9be36f394 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -846,21 +846,7 @@ pub mod __rt {
     /// above. That means if this function is called and referenced we'll pull
     /// in the object file and link the intrinsics.
     ///
-    /// Note that this is an `#[inline]` function to remove the function call
-    /// overhead we inject in functions, but right now it's unclear how to do
-    /// this in a zero-cost fashion. The lowest cost seems to be generating a
-    /// store that can't be optimized away (to a global), which is listed below.
-    ///
     /// Ideas for how to improve this are most welcome!
-    #[inline]
     pub fn link_mem_intrinsics() {
-        // the above symbols only exist with the `std` feature enabled.
-        if !cfg!(feature = "std") {
-            return
-        }
-
-        use core::sync::atomic::*;
-        static FOO: AtomicUsize = ATOMIC_USIZE_INIT;
-        FOO.store(0, Ordering::SeqCst);
     }
 }