diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index b62381c99..1e474236e 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 Package: nanonext
 Type: Package
 Title: NNG (Nanomsg Next Gen) Lightweight Messaging Library
-Version: 1.2.1.9019
+Version: 1.2.1.9020
 Description: R binding for NNG (Nanomsg Next Gen), a successor to ZeroMQ. NNG is
     a socket library implementing 'Scalability Protocols', a reliable,
     high-performance standard for common communications patterns including
diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index d36853fb8..1df758081 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# nanonext 1.2.1.9019 (development)
+# nanonext 1.2.1.9020 (development)
 
 #### New Features
 
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 #### Updates
 
-* Upgrades `reply()` to always return even when there is an evaluation error, allowing it to be used safely in a loop without exiting early.
+* Upgrades `reply()` to always return even when there is an evaluation error. This allows it to be used safely in a loop without exiting early, for example.
 * Removes deprecated and defunct `next_config()`.
 * Performance enhancements for `promises::as.promise()` methods.
 
diff --git a/R/context.R b/R/context.R
index 8f98c192e..d974b5a07 100644
--- a/R/context.R
+++ b/R/context.R
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ reply <- function(context,
   block <- if (is.null(timeout)) TRUE else timeout
   res <- recv(context, mode = recv_mode, block = block)
   is_error_value(res) && return(res)
-  data <- .Call(rnng_eval_safe, pairlist(execute, res, ...))
+  data <- .Call(rnng_eval_safe, as.call(list(execute, res, ...)))
   send(context, data = data, mode = send_mode, block = block)
 
 }
diff --git a/src/sync.c b/src/sync.c
index 51cfcf4c6..cf25eb373 100644
--- a/src/sync.c
+++ b/src/sync.c
@@ -24,8 +24,7 @@
 static SEXP nano_eval_res;
 
 void nano_eval_safe(void *arg) {
-  SEXP data = (SEXP) arg;
-  nano_eval_res = Rf_eval(Rf_lcons(CAR(data), CDR(data)), R_GlobalEnv);
+  nano_eval_res = Rf_eval((SEXP) arg, R_GlobalEnv);
 }
 
 // aio completion callbacks ----------------------------------------------------