diff --git a/src/sim/eventq.cc b/src/sim/eventq.cc
index b389efcf2..b32b330e7 100644
--- a/src/sim/eventq.cc
+++ b/src/sim/eventq.cc
@@ -203,7 +203,8 @@ EventQueue::serviceOne()
     if (!event->squashed()) {
         event->process();
         if (event->isExitEvent()) {
-            assert(!event->flags.isSet(Event::AutoDelete)); // would be silly
+            assert(!event->flags.isSet(Event::AutoDelete) ||
+                   !event->flags.isSet(Event::IsMainQueue)); // would be silly
             return event;
         }
     } else {
diff --git a/src/sim/sim_events.cc b/src/sim/sim_events.cc
index 725e7da9d..a77e8b103 100644
--- a/src/sim/sim_events.cc
+++ b/src/sim/sim_events.cc
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ SimLoopExitEvent::process()
     // queue.
     if (!isFlagSet(IsMainQueue)) {
         exitSimLoop(cause, code);
-        delete this;
+        setFlags(AutoDelete);
     }
 
     // otherwise do nothing... the IsExitEvent flag takes care of