diff --git a/include/parrot/sub.h b/include/parrot/sub.h
index fca0de9496..68479ce8b5 100644
--- a/include/parrot/sub.h
+++ b/include/parrot/sub.h
@@ -102,12 +102,6 @@ typedef enum {
 #define Sub_comp_INIT_SET(o) Sub_comp_flag_SET(PF_INIT, o)
 #define Sub_comp_INIT_CLEAR(o) Sub_comp_flag_CLEAR(PF_INIT, o)
 
-/*
- * a flag to signal a Sub that a new Continuation should be created
- */
-
-#define NEED_CONTINUATION ((PMC *)1)
-
 /*
  * maximum sub recursion depth
  */
diff --git a/src/gc/mark_sweep.c b/src/gc/mark_sweep.c
index 155df17aff..18459693ef 100644
--- a/src/gc/mark_sweep.c
+++ b/src/gc/mark_sweep.c
@@ -214,14 +214,11 @@ static void
 mark_interp(PARROT_INTERP)
 {
     ASSERT_ARGS(mark_interp)
-    PObj *obj;
     /* mark the list of iglobals */
     Parrot_gc_mark_PMC_alive(interp, interp->iglobals);
 
     /* mark the current continuation */
-    obj = (PObj *)interp->current_cont;
-    if (obj && obj != (PObj *)NEED_CONTINUATION)
-        Parrot_gc_mark_PMC_alive(interp, (PMC *)obj);
+    Parrot_gc_mark_PMC_alive(interp, interp->current_cont);
 
     /* mark the current context. */
     Parrot_gc_mark_PMC_alive(interp, interp->cur_task);
diff --git a/src/pmc/coroutine.pmc b/src/pmc/coroutine.pmc
index 49857c2e3d..876a8efa94 100644
--- a/src/pmc/coroutine.pmc
+++ b/src/pmc/coroutine.pmc
@@ -176,10 +176,7 @@ Swaps the "context".
             PMC               *ctx        = Parrot_pcc_get_signature(INTERP, caller_ctx);
             PMC               *ccont      = INTERP->current_cont;
 
-            if (ccont == NEED_CONTINUATION) {
-                ccont = Parrot_pmc_new(INTERP, enum_class_Continuation);
-                VTABLE_set_pointer(INTERP, ccont, next_op);
-            }
+            PARROT_ASSERT(!PMC_IS_NULL(ccont));
 
             if (PObj_get_FLAGS(ccont) & SUB_FLAG_TAILCALL)
                 Parrot_ex_throw_from_c_args(INTERP, NULL, EXCEPTION_INVALID_OPERATION,
diff --git a/src/pmc/imccompiler.pmc b/src/pmc/imccompiler.pmc
index a0a03450ad..7d78788029 100644
--- a/src/pmc/imccompiler.pmc
+++ b/src/pmc/imccompiler.pmc
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ pmclass IMCCompiler auto_attrs provides HLLCompiler provide invokable {
 
         /* Handle the case where we we've been tailcalled into. See NCI.invoke
            for more details */
-        if (cont && cont != NEED_CONTINUATION
+        if (!PMC_IS_NULL(cont)
         && (PObj_get_FLAGS(cont) & SUB_FLAG_TAILCALL)) {
             cont = Parrot_pcc_get_continuation(interp, CURRENT_CONTEXT(interp));
             next = VTABLE_invoke(INTERP, cont, next);
diff --git a/src/pmc/nativepccmethod.pmc b/src/pmc/nativepccmethod.pmc
index 7c89112f13..84289589da 100644
--- a/src/pmc/nativepccmethod.pmc
+++ b/src/pmc/nativepccmethod.pmc
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ Call the function pointer.
         {
             PMC *cont = INTERP->current_cont;
 
-            if (cont && cont != NEED_CONTINUATION
+            if (!PMC_IS_NULL(cont)
             && (PObj_get_FLAGS(cont) & SUB_FLAG_TAILCALL)) {
                 cont = Parrot_pcc_get_continuation(interp, CURRENT_CONTEXT(interp));
                 next = VTABLE_invoke(INTERP, cont, next);
diff --git a/src/pmc/nci.pmc b/src/pmc/nci.pmc
index 1e9443c134..a52f0e7553 100644
--- a/src/pmc/nci.pmc
+++ b/src/pmc/nci.pmc
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ class, the PMC arguments are shifted down.
          * return continuation here, which gets rid of this frame
          * and returns the real return address
          */
-        if (cont && cont != NEED_CONTINUATION
+        if (!PMC_IS_NULL(cont)
         && (PObj_get_FLAGS(cont) & SUB_FLAG_TAILCALL)) {
             cont = Parrot_pcc_get_continuation(interp, CURRENT_CONTEXT(interp));
             next = VTABLE_invoke(INTERP, cont, next);
diff --git a/src/pmc/parrotinterpreter.pmc b/src/pmc/parrotinterpreter.pmc
index 1bbf90d2af..5a243634c8 100644
--- a/src/pmc/parrotinterpreter.pmc
+++ b/src/pmc/parrotinterpreter.pmc
@@ -173,8 +173,6 @@ create_interp(ARGIN(PMC *self), ARGIN_NULLOK(Parrot_Interp parent))
 
     VTABLE_set_pmc_keyed_int(new_interp, new_interp->iglobals,
         (INTVAL) IGLOBALS_INTERPRETER, self);
-
-    new_interp->current_cont = NEED_CONTINUATION;
 }
 
 pmclass ParrotInterpreter no_ro manual_attrs provides invokable {
diff --git a/src/pmc/sub.pmc b/src/pmc/sub.pmc
index be111cd558..d6738830ee 100644
--- a/src/pmc/sub.pmc
+++ b/src/pmc/sub.pmc
@@ -414,12 +414,6 @@ Invokes the subroutine.
         pc                   = sub->seg->base.data + sub->start_offs;
         INTERP->current_cont = NULL;
 
-        PARROT_ASSERT(ccont != NEED_CONTINUATION);
-        if (ccont == NEED_CONTINUATION) {
-            ccont = Parrot_pmc_new(INTERP, enum_class_Continuation);
-            VTABLE_set_pointer(INTERP, ccont, next);
-        }
-
         PARROT_ASSERT(!PMC_IS_NULL(ccont));
 
         if (PMC_IS_NULL(context))