diff --git a/src/script_opt/GenRDs.cc b/src/script_opt/GenRDs.cc
index 7ced9b3180..e42d21856d 100644
--- a/src/script_opt/GenRDs.cc
+++ b/src/script_opt/GenRDs.cc
@@ -812,6 +812,17 @@ TraversalCode RD_Decorate::PreExpr(const Expr* e)
 		auto lhs = a->Op1();
 		auto rhs = a->Op2();
 
+		if ( lhs->Tag() == EXPR_LIST &&
+		     rhs->GetType()->Tag() != TYPE_ANY )
+			{
+			// This combination occurs only for assignments used
+			// to initialize table entries.  Treat it as references
+			// to both the lhs and the rhs, not as an assignment.
+			mgr.SetPreFromPre(a->GetOp1().get(), a);
+			mgr.SetPreFromPre(a->GetOp2().get(), a);
+			return TC_CONTINUE;
+			}
+
 		bool rhs_aggr = IsAggr(rhs);
 
 		mgr.SetPreFromPre(lhs, a);