diff --git a/internal/mmtk.h b/internal/mmtk.h
index 43fe3f77cd1fc0..be80b27197500a 100644
--- a/internal/mmtk.h
+++ b/internal/mmtk.h
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ void mmtk_register_ppp(MMTk_ObjectReference object);
 
 void mmtk_register_ppps(const MMTk_ObjectReference *objects, size_t len);
 
-void *mmtk_get_givtbl(MMTk_ObjectReference object);
+void *mmtk_get_givtbl_during_gc(MMTk_ObjectReference object);
 
 size_t mmtk_get_vo_bit_log_region_size(void);
 
diff --git a/mmtk_support.c b/mmtk_support.c
index bbe050965973d1..75ea811eabadf5 100644
--- a/mmtk_support.c
+++ b/mmtk_support.c
@@ -1506,13 +1506,11 @@ rb_mmtk_scan_roots_in_mutator_thread(MMTk_VMMutatorThread mutator, MMTk_VMWorker
 static void*
 rb_mmtk_get_original_givtbl(MMTk_ObjectReference object) {
     VALUE obj = (VALUE)object;
-    if (FL_TEST(obj, FL_EXIVAR)) {
-        struct gen_ivtbl *ivtbl;
-        if (rb_gen_ivtbl_get(obj, 0, &ivtbl)) {
-            return ivtbl;
-        } else {
-            return NULL;
-        }
+
+    RUBY_ASSERT(FL_TEST(obj, FL_EXIVAR));
+    struct gen_ivtbl *ivtbl;
+    if (rb_gen_ivtbl_get(obj, 0, &ivtbl)) {
+        return ivtbl;
     } else {
         return NULL;
     }
diff --git a/variable.c b/variable.c
index 6c3c0dd46969ad..17f5ce6c9cfcbd 100644
--- a/variable.c
+++ b/variable.c
@@ -1100,17 +1100,19 @@ void
 rb_mark_generic_ivar(VALUE obj)
 {
     struct gen_ivtbl *ivtbl;
-    int r = 0;
 
 #if USE_MMTK
+    int r = 0;
     if (rb_mmtk_enabled_p()) {
-        ivtbl = mmtk_get_givtbl((MMTk_ObjectReference)obj);
+        ivtbl = mmtk_get_givtbl_during_gc((MMTk_ObjectReference)obj);
         r = (ivtbl != NULL);
     } else {
         r = rb_gen_ivtbl_get(obj, 0, &ivtbl);
     }
-#endif
     if (r) {
+#else
+    if (rb_gen_ivtbl_get(obj, 0, &ivtbl)) {
+#endif
         if (rb_shape_obj_too_complex(obj)) {
             rb_mark_tbl_no_pin(ivtbl->as.complex.table);
         }
@@ -1127,7 +1129,18 @@ rb_ref_update_generic_ivar(VALUE obj)
 {
     struct gen_ivtbl *ivtbl;
 
+#if USE_MMTK
+    int r = 0;
+    if (rb_mmtk_enabled_p()) {
+        ivtbl = mmtk_get_givtbl_during_gc((MMTk_ObjectReference)obj);
+        r = (ivtbl != NULL);
+    } else {
+        r = rb_gen_ivtbl_get(obj, 0, &ivtbl);
+    }
+    if (r) {
+#else
     if (rb_gen_ivtbl_get(obj, 0, &ivtbl)) {
+#endif
         if (rb_shape_obj_too_complex(obj)) {
             rb_gc_ref_update_table_values_only(ivtbl->as.complex.table);
         }