diff --git a/src/aeso_fcode_to_fate.erl b/src/aeso_fcode_to_fate.erl
index 4d8a31b..1dbdca2 100644
--- a/src/aeso_fcode_to_fate.erl
+++ b/src/aeso_fcode_to_fate.erl
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@
 -define(a, {stack, 0}).
 -define(s, {var, -1}).  %% TODO: until we have state support in FATE
 
+-define(IsState(X), (is_tuple(X) andalso tuple_size(X) =:= 2 andalso element(1, X) =:= var andalso element(2, X) < 0)).
+
 -define(IsOp(Op), (
      Op =:= 'STORE'           orelse
      Op =:= 'ADD'             orelse
@@ -807,6 +809,7 @@ swap_instrs({i, #{ live_in := Live1 }, I}, {i, #{ live_in := Live2, live_out :=
     {{i, #{ live_in => Live1,  live_out => Live2_ }, J},
      {i, #{ live_in => Live2_, live_out => Live3  }, I}}.
 
+live_in(R, _) when ?IsState(R) -> true;
 live_in(R, #{ live_in  := LiveIn  }) -> ordsets:is_element(R, LiveIn);
 live_in(R, {i, Ann, _}) -> live_in(R, Ann);
 live_in(R, [I = {i, _, _} | _]) -> live_in(R, I);
@@ -816,6 +819,7 @@ live_in(R, [{switch, A, _, Alts, Def} | _]) ->
 live_in(_, missing) -> false;
 live_in(_, []) -> false.
 
+live_out(R, _) when ?IsState(R) -> true;
 live_out(R, #{ live_out := LiveOut }) -> ordsets:is_element(R, LiveOut).
 
 %% -- Optimizations --