https://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=99693
--- Comment #5 from rafal at bursig dot org --- Additional when I use c++ variant of this code and throw exception in else then in -O2 level the 'if' is removed outside loop: typedef struct Update { int m_update; //... } Update; extern void antagonizer( Update * ); void antagonize(Update *data, unsigned int n) { int _update = data->m_update; while(--n) { if (_update) { antagonizer( data ); } else throw std::runtime_error("error"); } } The asm looks like: .LC0: .string "error" antagonize(Update*, unsigned int): mov eax, DWORD PTR [rdi] sub esi, 1 je .L12 push r12 push rbp mov rbp, rdi push rbx mov ebx, esi test eax, eax je .L3 .L4: mov rdi, rbp call antagonizer(Update*) sub ebx, 1 jne .L4 pop rbx pop rbp pop r12 ret .L12: ret antagonize(Update*, unsigned int) [clone .cold]: .L3: mov edi, 16 call __cxa_allocate_exception mov esi, OFFSET FLAT:.LC0 mov rdi, rax mov rbp, rax call std::runtime_error::runtime_error(char const*) [complete object constructor] mov edx, OFFSET FLAT:_ZNSt13runtime_errorD1Ev mov esi, OFFSET FLAT:_ZTISt13runtime_error mov rdi, rbp call __cxa_throw mov r12, rax mov rdi, rbp call __cxa_free_exception mov rdi, r12 call _Unwind_Resume when I comment the "else throw ..." then the if check return int loop