diff --git a/topaz/error.py b/topaz/error.py
index 78ec23859..7347e9dbc 100644
--- a/topaz/error.py
+++ b/topaz/error.py
@@ -9,6 +9,22 @@ def __init__(self, w_value):
     def __str__(self):
         return "<RubyError: %s>" % self.w_value
 
+    @jit.unroll_safe
+    def mark_not_escaped(self):
+        # This is supposed to be used when we catch a RubyError on the RPython
+        # level. It's a hack to not force frames if we have caught the exception
+        # and don't plan to re-raise it back into Ruby. TODO: find a better
+        # overall architecture to make the whole escaping logic go away (see
+        # also frame.py `unrollstack', interpreter.py `handle_ruby_error', and
+        # executioncontext.py `leave')
+        frame = self.w_value.frame
+        while frame is not None:
+            frame.escaped = False
+            if frame.backref.virtual:
+                frame = None
+            else:
+                frame = frame.backref()
+
 
 def format_traceback(space, exc, top_filepath):
     w_bt = space.send(exc, "backtrace")
diff --git a/topaz/objects/floatobject.py b/topaz/objects/floatobject.py
index 10106fae6..6b359a62f 100644
--- a/topaz/objects/floatobject.py
+++ b/topaz/objects/floatobject.py
@@ -169,6 +169,7 @@ def method_eq(self, space, w_other):
             return W_NumericObject.retry_binop_coercing(space, self, w_other, "==")
         except RubyError as e:
             if isinstance(e.w_value, W_ArgumentError):
+                e.mark_not_escaped()
                 return space.send(w_other, "==", [self])
             else:
                 raise
@@ -186,6 +187,7 @@ def method_equalp(self, space, w_other):
             return W_NumericObject.retry_binop_coercing(space, self, w_other, "equal?")
         except RubyError as e:
             if isinstance(e.w_value, W_ArgumentError):
+                e.mark_not_escaped()
                 return space.send(w_other, "equal?", [self])
             else:
                 raise
diff --git a/topaz/objects/numericobject.py b/topaz/objects/numericobject.py
index 33e48ba4d..883c1bb3f 100644
--- a/topaz/objects/numericobject.py
+++ b/topaz/objects/numericobject.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ def retry_binop_coercing(space, w_recv, w_arg, binop, raise_error=True):
         except RubyError as e:
             if not space.is_kind_of(e.w_value, space.w_StandardError):
                 raise
+            e.mark_not_escaped()
             if raise_error:
                 raise space.error(space.w_ArgumentError,
                     "comparison of %s with %s failed" % (
diff --git a/topaz/objspace.py b/topaz/objspace.py
index 93357da1a..b9c1e2f1d 100644
--- a/topaz/objspace.py
+++ b/topaz/objspace.py
@@ -766,6 +766,7 @@ def convert_type(self, w_obj, w_cls, method, raise_error=True, reraise_error=Fal
         except RubyError as e:
             if reraise_error:
                 raise e
+            e.mark_not_escaped()
             if not raise_error:
                 return self.w_nil
             src_cls_name = self.obj_to_s(self.getclass(w_obj))