diff --git a/crates/compiler/builtins/bitcode/src/utils.zig b/crates/compiler/builtins/bitcode/src/utils.zig
index bda6ec69651..94e806d9740 100644
--- a/crates/compiler/builtins/bitcode/src/utils.zig
+++ b/crates/compiler/builtins/bitcode/src/utils.zig
@@ -267,9 +267,9 @@ pub fn freeDataPtrC(
     const masked_ptr = ptr & ~tag_mask;
 
     const isizes: [*]isize = @as([*]isize, @ptrFromInt(masked_ptr));
-    const offset = @max(1, @divFloor(alignment, @sizeOf(usize)));
 
-    return freeRcPtrC(isizes - offset, alignment);
+    // we always store the refcount right before the data
+    return freeRcPtrC(isizes - 1, alignment);
 }
 
 pub fn freeRcPtrC(
diff --git a/crates/compiler/gen_wasm/src/low_level.rs b/crates/compiler/gen_wasm/src/low_level.rs
index 6d8e3f07e4c..63c42a64a2e 100644
--- a/crates/compiler/gen_wasm/src/low_level.rs
+++ b/crates/compiler/gen_wasm/src/low_level.rs
@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ impl<'a> LowLevelCall<'a> {
 
                 // Zig arguments              Wasm types
                 //  (return pointer)           i32
-                //  list: RocList              i64, i32
+                //  list: RocList              i32
                 //  alignment: u32             i32
                 //  element_width: usize       i32
                 //  update_mode: UpdateMode    i32
@@ -564,7 +564,7 @@ impl<'a> LowLevelCall<'a> {
 
                 backend.call_host_fn_after_loading_args(
                     bitcode::LIST_RELEASE_EXCESS_CAPACITY,
-                    6,
+                    5,
                     false,
                 );
             }