diff --git a/pkg/compiler/codegen.go b/pkg/compiler/codegen.go
index a5fe85d1c..5fe02fbec 100644
--- a/pkg/compiler/codegen.go
+++ b/pkg/compiler/codegen.go
@@ -1512,7 +1512,9 @@ func (c *codegen) convertBuiltin(expr *ast.CallExpr) {
 	case "panic":
 		emit.Opcode(c.prog.BinWriter, opcode.THROW)
 	case "recover":
-		c.emitLoadByIndex(varGlobal, c.exceptionIndex)
+		if !c.scope.voidCalls[expr] {
+			c.emitLoadByIndex(varGlobal, c.exceptionIndex)
+		}
 		emit.Opcode(c.prog.BinWriter, opcode.PUSHNULL)
 		c.emitStoreByIndex(varGlobal, c.exceptionIndex)
 	case "ToInteger", "ToByteArray", "ToBool":
diff --git a/pkg/compiler/defer_test.go b/pkg/compiler/defer_test.go
index 4a2f8f3b0..d9b39ea07 100644
--- a/pkg/compiler/defer_test.go
+++ b/pkg/compiler/defer_test.go
@@ -128,8 +128,8 @@ func TestRecover(t *testing.T) {
 			return h() + a
 		}
 		func h() int {
-			defer func() { a += 2; _ = recover() }()
-			defer func() { a *= 3; _ = recover(); panic("again") }()
+			defer func() { a += 2; recover() }()
+			defer func() { a *= 3; recover(); panic("again") }()
 			a = 1
 			panic("msg")
 			return a