diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/inl.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/inl.go
index d49a09458c..419056985f 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/inl.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/inl.go
@@ -963,6 +963,21 @@ func mkinlcall(n, fn *Node, maxCost int32, inlMap map[*Node]bool) *Node {
 
 	ninit := n.Ninit
 
+	// For normal function calls, the function callee expression
+	// may contain side effects (e.g., added by addinit during
+	// inlconv2expr or inlconv2list). Make sure to preserve these,
+	// if necessary (#42703).
+	if n.Op == OCALLFUNC {
+		callee := n.Left
+		for callee.Op == OCONVNOP {
+			ninit.AppendNodes(&callee.Ninit)
+			callee = callee.Left
+		}
+		if callee.Op != ONAME && callee.Op != OCLOSURE {
+			Fatalf("unexpected callee expression: %v", callee)
+		}
+	}
+
 	// Make temp names to use instead of the originals.
 	inlvars := make(map[*Node]*Node)
 
diff --git a/test/fixedbugs/issue42703.go b/test/fixedbugs/issue42703.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..15f7a915e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixedbugs/issue42703.go
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+// run
+
+// Copyright 2020 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
+
+var ok [2]bool
+
+func main() {
+	f()()
+	if !ok[0] || !ok[1] {
+		panic("FAIL")
+	}
+}
+
+func f() func() { ok[0] = true; return g }
+func g()        { ok[1] = true }