diff --git a/noun/retrieve.c b/noun/retrieve.c
index e25965995a..a79d8fee8b 100644
--- a/noun/retrieve.c
+++ b/noun/retrieve.c
@@ -719,7 +719,9 @@ _song_x(u3_noun a, u3_noun b, void (*uni)(u3_noun*, u3_noun*))
           else {
             if ( har_p != 0 ) {
               u3_noun key = u3nc(u3a_to_off(a), u3a_to_off(b));
+              u3t_off(euq_o);
               u3_noun got = u3h_get(har_p, key);
+              u3t_on(euq_o);
               u3z(key);
               if ( u3_none != got ) {
                 _eq_pop();
@@ -749,7 +751,9 @@ _song_x(u3_noun a, u3_noun b, void (*uni)(u3_noun*, u3_noun*))
       }
       if ( 0 != har_p ) {
         u3_noun key = u3nc(u3a_to_off(a), u3a_to_off(b));
+        u3t_off(euq_o);
         u3h_put(har_p, key, c3y);
+        u3t_on(euq_o);
         u3z(key);
       }
       _eq_pop();
diff --git a/noun/trace.c b/noun/trace.c
index 1464d719ba..ddb7410c52 100644
--- a/noun/trace.c
+++ b/noun/trace.c
@@ -361,7 +361,12 @@ u3t_damp(void)
 void _ct_sigaction(c3_i x_i) 
 { 
   // fprintf(stderr, "itimer!\r\n"); abort();
+
+  // sampling mid-equality can break without this
+  c3_o meq_o = u3T.euq_o;
+  u3T.euq_o  = c3n;
   u3t_samp();
+  u3T.euq_o  = meq_o;
 }
 
 /* u3t_init(): initialize tracing layer.