diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/deadcode/deadcode.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/deadcode/deadcode.go
index 3658c89912..65a48b6803 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/deadcode/deadcode.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/deadcode/deadcode.go
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ func stmts(nn *ir.Nodes) {
 		}
 
 		if cut {
+			ir.VisitList((*nn)[i+1:len(*nn)], markHiddenClosureDead)
 			*nn = (*nn)[:i+1]
 			break
 		}
diff --git a/test/fixedbugs/issue48459.go b/test/fixedbugs/issue48459.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ceb7788ae4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixedbugs/issue48459.go
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+// compile
+
+// Copyright 2021 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package main
+
+func main() {
+	if true {
+		return
+	}
+
+	defer func() {
+		recover()
+	}()
+}